Delieverance
by AngeliqueBouchard1972
Summary: Zuko is a man of power, of intrigue. He stands alone, even while among his allies. And when he sits upon a golden throne and feels the heaviness of absolute autonomy begin to cloud his mind, his defiance sparks up once more. Nothing can ever be the same again. In a world of fear and shifting politics, no is to be trusted. No except for Amara, that is. Post ATLA. Zuko/OC.
1. Born Again

**Hello! Wow - it feels so weird to actually be publishing a fanfiction that isn't for Dark Shadows. As a few of you might know, I write fanfiction for Dark Shadows, a Tim Burton/Johnny Depp film from 2012. While it was a fantastic movie and filled with fanfiction opportunities, I have exhausted many of them. It's time to start something else. So, here I am! My name is Ashley, and I would like to share my stories with you. I love Zuko, like almost everyone else, and I too think that he is character much too deep and inspirational to _not_ write fanfictions about. But, unlike most authors here who focus on shipping/lemon stories, mine won't be like that at all. This is going to be a "House of Cards"/"The Blacklist" type story. BTW, those are amazing stories, and if you like this one (once we get more into it of course) you would probably like those. They are on Netflix.**

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 **Disclaimer: This story is (mainly) a political drama/angst story. While romance will play into parts of this book, it will not be a lemon or a shipping story. This will actually be a rather dramatic and dark story as we progress. I will change the rating to M within the next few chapters, so please be prepared for that. In this book, there will be references to child abuse, suicide, violence, and other adult themes. Make sure to keep that in mind, and please enjoy if you enjoy intense political/angst books!**

 **Also, this book does not match up with The Legend of Korra. While it is roughly aligned, I am not in any way trying to make the politics meet up exactly. So please do not comment to tell me that "In _Legend of Korra_..." Thank you. Much appreciated.**

 **Going along with that note, this is not regarding the storyline of the comics for Avatar, such as The Search and The Promise. They are good though.**

 **Finally, I do not own the awesome creation that is _Avatar: The Last Airbender_.**

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 **Text copyright © AngeliqueBouchard1972™ 2015**

 **The moral right of the author has been asserted. All rights reserved. This story is published subject to the condition that it shall not be reproduced or retransmitted in whole or in part, in any manner, without the written consent of the copyright holder, and any infringement of this is a violation of copyright law.**

 **A single copy of the materials available in this story may be made, solely for personal, noncommercial use. Individuals must preserve any copyright or other notices contained in or associated with them. Users may not distribute said copies to others, whether or not in electronic form or in hard copy, without prior written consent of the copyright holder of the materials.**

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 **Synopsis**

 _ **Zuko is a man of power, of intrigue. He stands alone, even while among his allies. It is his nature to be defiant. And when he sits upon a golden throne and feels the heaviness of absolute autonomy begin to cloud his mind, his defiance sparks up once more. Nothing can ever be the same again. The world must be reborn. In a world of fear and shifting politics, no is to be trusted. No except for Amara, that is.**_

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 **Deliverance**

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"War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace." - Thomas Mann

A Fire Lord is many things. A commander, a cultural leader, a head of state, a celebrity. He is the most important person in the world. Below him, in ranking order: The Fire Lady, his children, his advisors, council members, relatives. Other heads of government follow the downward trail of authority until it trickles into the middle classes. Principles, mayors, merchants, and so forth. Lastly there are the peasants: farmers, teachers, workers, and finally, servants and concubines. While growing up in the royal palace of the Fire Nation, these ideas came as second nature to him. He gave them no thought, no question. That was the way things were always done, he had been told.

The Fire Lord could do whatever he wanted. He had complete and utter control. It was his natural right to rule, to oversee everyone below him. Everyone on the planet answered to him. Even the Earth King was below him. It was his god given right to rule. There was no debate. His world was finite, absolute. He followed in the ancient traditions and worked tirelessly to bring honor and success to his country.

The Fire Lord was his title. But it was not him. The time he spent while stripped away from his nation had changed him. Things were no longer black and white in his eyes. The world was full of colors, vibrant and rich. Nothing was set in stone, nothing was finite. Zuko had finally come to understand one simple, but revolutionary idea. His father, his grandfather and everyone that had come before him were no smarter than him. The world that he had always known was not real. It was all an illusion. The whole system that was created to bring order to the world was not infinite. It could be changed. He would change it. But as necessary as reform was, it was frightening for those who still clung to the ancient ways.

"Your Majesty," General Fong spoke with pertinence, "are we ready to begin?" Zuko's golden eyes surveyed the room, looking over his father's former advisors and generals. Well, the ones that had accepted him as the new Fire Lord. Aside them sat his Uncle, Avatar Aang, Katara, Sokka, Chief Hakoda and several delegates from the Earth Kingdom and the Northern water tribe. Zuko took a deep intake of breath.

"Yes."

"Aang, would you like to start us off?" The young monk raised his gaze from Katara.

"I think you should, Zuko." Even though Aang had defeated the Fire Lord and saved the world, he was still a child, and Zuko knew his discomfort with speaking in front of so many.

"Avatar Aang, in the Fire Nation it is respectful to address the Fire Lord as 'His Majesty'," General Fong said, a bit patronizingly. Zuko looked to Aang, who was fighting to keep his face neutral. Zuko waved his hand to dismiss the notion,

"That will not be necessary, General Fong." Aang smirked at Zuko in relief.

"But, Your Majesty, it is traditional to-," Zuko cut him off calmly,

"I know, General. But today, traditions will change." The older general only gaped at him in bewilderment. Not wanting to be addressed as 'His Majesty' was not in accordance with the thinking of the past Fire Lords. General Fong was right, it was tradition. But Zuko intended to change that.

"Allow me to explain myself." Zuko's rich voice resonated in the vast room, and the general's golden eyes looked over the Fire Lord incredulously, but he nodded nevertheless.

"Of course, my lord." Zuko pursued the room for a second before he stood up. The slight chatter ceased as everyone turned to look at the teenager at the head of the table.

"First off, I would like to welcome all of you who have traveled so far to be with us today. Especially our delegates from the Earth Kingdom: Ting and Miau; and the Northern Water Tribe ambassadors: Xui Li and Hao." The ambassadors gave a small nod to the Fire Lord, a slightly hesitant look in their eyes and stiff posture. Of course they wouldn't trust him. His father killed their people. Zuko held back a sigh and returned to look over the group in it's entirety. Several of the men, Hakoda especially, seemed very uncomfortable as well. He needed to loosen the tension before he started. Otherwise, this could be a very short meeting.

"Now, I expect we'll all be here for quite a while, so go ahead and get comfortable." Katara and a few others laughed, while Sokka took this quite literally and stretched. It seemed to calm the nerves in the room a bit. It helped to remember that the teenage Fire Lord was, in fact, capable of joking around. Many people were apprehensive of Zuko after his quick rise to power. They had heard of his wild behaviors. He had disrespected a man in court and been burned by his own father, banished, and later, exiled. Not only had he come back to the Fire Nation in recent years, but as soon as he returned, he left again. He had joined the Avatar and defeated his own sister, said to be as powerful as the Fire Lord himself, in an Agni Kai. Of course, he hadn't really won, Katara helped him defeat Azula, but she was never mentioned. Yes, the people knew of Zuko: the banished prince, Zuko: the dangerous traitor, and even Zuko: the war hero. But no one knew what he was like as Fire Lord.

"I'd like for you all to consider something," he paused briefly after checking to see that he had everyone's undivided attention, "today, in this room, we are creating the future. We are the new leaders of the world. We hold the world, or what's left of it, in our hands." Zuko noticed that mistrust that still lurked in several eyes around the room.

"I know that it would not be easy to trust me, and my country, after what some of you have been through. I don't ask for forgiveness you can not yet grant, but I do ask for a chance. A chance to prove that what I want for the world, and for myself, is different than those who came before me." Iroh's lip curled upwards in pride, or uncertainty, Zuko wasn't quite sure. Hakoda gave a subtle nod, though, which gave Zuko a bit of confidence.

"It's very obvious that sweeping changes must be made, by us. Changes that will create a new world. A world of peace, order, and stability." Zuko paused a bit and smiled faintly while looking towards his uncle.

"One of my Uncle's proverbs comes to mind today: 'Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results." At that, Iroh nodded, a smile adorning his withered face.

"One of my best," he remarked happily. Despite having half his family imprisoned for life, Iroh was happier then than he had ever been. Seeing his nephew as Fire Lord, leading their nation into a time of peace, made him more proud than he thought possible. Zuko had changed much over the time they spent apart, and Iroh believed it was for the better.

"Indeed, Uncle. And in order to keep the world from being as divided and scarred as it has been over the past hundred years, we must do things differently. Our nations need this change, not only for peace, but in order to set a steady foundation for new generations to thrive." For a moment, Zuko and Aang locked eyes, and Zuko could easily see the passion and excitement in his young grey eyes.

"What types of changes are you referring to, your Majesty? Poticial? Economical?" General Shang had his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Precisely, General. But not only political changes." Zuko looked back to Aang,

"The Avatar I have been discussing such changes over the past week, with the consult of my Uncle, General Iroh, and although we are only in the preliminary stages of planning, Aang wanted to share some of our thoughts with you." Zuko motioned towards Aang before he sat down. Everyone turned to look at the young monk, clad in yellow air nation robes that were clearly too big for him. Zuko watched as he stood up, a bit less gracefully than Zuko had. It was still funny for Zuko to think about how such a small, defenseless looking kid had taken his father down - and taken his bending away. You would never guess that from just looking at him.

"When I lived in the Air Nation, a hundred years ago, our way of life was very different than today. It's strange to think that my people had a more peaceful and efficient government than most of the world does now. We had a republic, and a council of elders helped to make important governing decisions. People only ruled if they were elected, and deemed worthy of being in power." The Fire Lord nodded, thankful that he had payed attention in class when he was taught about the Air Nomads. He never would have guessed that he would be using that knowledge the way that he was, though.

"Zuko told me that the Fire Nation teaches about the Air Nation, so some of you might have known that already. But, about a month ago, I accidentally sat in on a class here in the Fire Nation, and during the lecture the professor asked: 'What year did Fire Lord Sozin battle the Air Nation armies?' That's an impossible question, of course, because my people never had a formal military. They were defeated by ambush. But that's not what's said in the teachings here. That can lead people to believe things that aren't true simply because they were taught it and told it was true." Zuko nodded once more, a bit anxious to continue with the proposal that they had agreed on. But nevertheless, the young Fire Lord continued,

"The Avatar makes a good point. I know that it is difficult to believe that what you have been taught is wrong, but nevertheless, it is true. Growing up, I was taught that the Fire Nation was superior to all other nations, and because of my royal blood, it somehow made me better than everyone else..." Zuko thought for a moment before adding,

"What an incredible lie that was. In my journeys during exile, I have learned the realities of the world, not only as people of the Fire Nation perceive it, but as it truly exists. The terrible suffering and pain that has existed during the past hundred years has been no one's fault but the Fire Nation's." A few hushed gasps and whispers rose up from around the room. Zuko knew it was outrageous for a Fire Lord to say such things about his own country, but it needed to be said.

"To keep not only the Fire Nation, but the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes as well, in a peaceful harmony, elements of our core beliefs and understandings must be changed. Otherwise - we risk the possibility of falling subject to despotism and corruption. It is obvious that the teachings of my own country were so polluted and twisted that they led my father, and many others in my nation, to insanity." Now that Zuko finally had said the basis of the plan he had been mulling over for weeks, he was more confident to continue.

"In order to combat this, we have decided that at this point, to further modernize the Fire Nation, and enter this new time with a clean slate," Zuko took a breath and and calmed his racing anticipations, "all offices will become open. Positions that existed while my father was Fire Lord will now be made new. This can allow all future decisions to be made with a clear and conscious hearts. Representatives from each of the four nations will vote in officers, and advisors of heads of state." Suddenly the room became filled with, almost frantic, chatter. General Shang, who had been staring at him uncomprehendingly for quite some time, spoke up,

"My Lord, you do not mean that all previous generals and commanders will be fired, do you?" Zuko cleared his throat, trying to remember the statement he had prepared for this very question.

"I know this is a very difficult process, but in order to-"

"I heard you the first time," General Shang cut him off rudely, while the room fell dead silent at the sound of the General's sharp tone.

"But a 'clean slate' might not be the best thing for the people right now. Have you considered that?" Zuko opened his mouth to speak, but the general boldly cut him off again, his words unyielding and rushed.

"They already had to comprehend that their previous Fire Lord was imprisoned. Now you want all of us to leave? What about your Uncle? You do understand that if you do this, you will not only be revoking his position, but also leading your people into thinking that you're as power mad as your father? Clearing everyone out so that you can select those that comply with your own thinking? What if the people don't comply, and a war breaks out? Who would lead the Fire Nation into battle?" He was starting to yell, "You?! You're a teenager, how in Agni's name -"

"General Shang." Zuko's voice was silencing and his face was stern. His next words were forced from the tight line where his lips were pressed together, while his golden eyes were firmly locked onto the general.

"If you would have let me finish, General, I would have explained some things that would clear the _confusion_ that you are experiencing." Zuko paused for a moment, knowing that if he could not verbally counter him, at least he could give him a piercing glare, "That is why you disrespected me just now, yes? _Confusion_?" Zuko raised his eyebrow and watched the older man shrivel back from his previously bold stance upon realising that he just committed a crime worthy of execution. Disrespecting the Fire Lord, teenager or not, was treason. Zuko knew that General Shang still thought of him as a child, stupid enough to show weakness in front of his father. But now, the General's pride could be his downfall. Zuko could have him killed and they both knew it.

"Yes, your highness." The general spoke in a much softer, more submissive tone than before. Zuko took a breath and straightened out his posture from underneath the heavy shoulder ornament he was wearing.

He had expected at least one of the generals to get angry with him, that much was obvious. But he never expected General Shang, a firm supporter of peace, to insult him so openly. Though he knew that he could not be like his father and establish his leadership through intimidation or fear, he had to establish it in some way. He could not have this kind of direct insubordination.

"There is something that you don't quite grasp. The idea to make all positions open in order to _establish peace_ within our nations was _not_ mine. The Avatar and my Uncle came up with the idea, in which I would not be a representative from the Fire Nation, but one of the candidates." Zuko spoke the words loudly and clearly, and instantly all of the Fire Nation Generals locked their eyes onto Zuko's form, astonished.

"What?" General Fang looked as though he was completely convinced that Zuko was a madman. Zuko knew he was one for tradition, and that it exactly why this would be hard for him to grasp.

"In this scenario, which remind you, has _not_ been finalized yet, not only the generals and advisors would be removed from their current position, but me as well. I would relinquish my position as Fire Lord and apply for a position along with everyone else. It would not even be _possible_ for me to stack congress because I would not be choosing which applicants would be accepted - leaving there no possible way for me to abuse my power." The meeting room fell silent.

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 _Later that day..._

"All those in favor of clearing the positions of the current advisors to the Fire Lord, and to have a group of representatives from each of the four nations vote to decide upon one final candidate, say aye." Many 'ayes' could be heard around the vast room. Zuko took a deep breath. They had discussed many things over the length of the day. It was very difficult to keep the sludge moving along in a room filled with a bunch of old men kept in their ways. Finally, they had agreed to vote upon appointing him a new advisor.

"All those opposed, say nay." Several 'nays' could be heard, and hushed comments followed. The scribe, a young man from the Earth Kingdom, addressed the room:

"Fourteen to nine. The legislation passes." The room broke out into a hushed chatter, while Zuko stood, incredibly relieved to stretch out his aching legs. He forgot how much it hurt to sit cross-legged for so long.

"Thank you all for coming. This meeting is dismissed, but the council of five will begin their discussion revolving the selection of the new advisor in an hour." Zuko almost sighed out loud, knowing that by the time he followed up with Aang and eaten, he would be coming right back to the meeting room. Everyone began to stand up, and Zuko excused himself. Just as he had exited the room, Aang ran up from behind him,

"Zuko!" The young monk looked upwards toward his taller counterpart. Zuko looked much more imposing dressed in his formal attire.

"That was pretty intense..." Aang's tone was a bit childish, but Zuko tried not to pay to much mind to it. He knew Aang possessed wisdom much beyond his years.

"That was a pretty standard Fire Nation forum." Zuko continued to walk down the hall, with the little yellow-clad monk trailing behind him.

"Are they usually that long?" Aang was honestly curious.

"Sometimes," Zuko noted, walking into the antechamber where servants helped him remove the heavy outerwear that was traditional for the Fire Lord to wear. Aang watched as Zuko stretched, relieved, and began to walk down another hallway.

"Do I have to go the next meeting, Zuko? I can't stand sitting for so long." One of the servants was watching them as she assembled flowers in a vase, eyes bulging. No one was supposed to address the Fire Lord by first name in front of others, let alone ask to get out of an important meeting. Zuko actually laughed out loud at how obviously he was not Fire Nation.

"That's fine, Aang. I'll have Hikoshi brief you on what we discussed tomorrow."

"Thanks." Zuko simply nodded and turned the corner towards the banquet hall.

"Hey - do you think that I could go to the royal training area after dinner? I haven't worked on my firebending for over a week." Zuko looked down at the him,

"Sure, but I can't teach you. I'm in meetings until late tonight." Zuko eyed the elaborate tapestries that adorned the south hall as he walked. He had missed the palace so much when he was away. But now that he was here, it felt a bit too much like his father was still there. Like he would round the next corner, yellow eyes gleaming in discontent with his heir.

"Okay," Aang seemed a bit disappointed, "Can you work with me some other time? You're a really good firebending teacher." Zuko chuckled a bit,

"Maybe, I'll try." They entered the banquet hall and Zuko looked over everyone who was there. His uncle was missing, but that made sense. Zuko headed towards the table, eyeing the beautiful arrangements of food and drinks laid out specifically for him. Trays of dragon fruit and spicy chicken were calling his name. Out of nowhere, Aang spoke,

"It kind of sucks that you're the Fire Lord now..." Zuko turned around to look at him, and scoffed,

"What?" Zuko couldn't believe he had actually heard him say that. Several of the people in the room were listening to them. Suddenly, Aang's eyes got wide and he blurted out,

"No, I didn't mean it like that - I meant because you can't teach me anymore. You know, because you're so busy." Zuko huffed in understanding, his next words low and quiet,

"You shouldn't go around saying things like that Aang. The Fire Nation is very different than what you're used to." Aang nodded.

"I know! In the meeting, when that guy was yelling at you - that was crazy." Many people had spoken out against him in the meeting, but Zuko knew which one he was probably referring to.

"General Shang, you mean?"

"Yeah." Zuko could tell that several of the servant's eyes were on them as they stood near the entryway, but he needed to talk to Aang before he forgot. He had so much on his mind.

"Aang, when you're in the palace, you have to be very careful what you say, and who you say it to. People will talk. If they think you don't respect me, it wouldn't be good for either of us. The same goes for anyone else." Aang furrowed his brows,

"But - they aren't going to be General's anymore, why would it matter if they think I don't like them?" Zuko tried not to visibly anger at his words.

"Listen to me Aang. You cannot talk about confidential matters in front of other people. Especially not matters that haven't been finalized yet." Zuko tried his best to keep his tone neutral, but it was difficult.

"But who could have heard us? We were alone."

"Not then, just now," Zuko said.

"What are you talking about, Zuko? Anyone at the table is too far away to hear us. You're being paranoid." Zuko brought himself down to a whisper,

"No, I'm not. Because we're not in private, Aang. The servants talk too. Some people in court go directly to them to get information. Don't let people know anything you don't want them to know. And don't talk about anything that happened in confidential meetings out in the open." The young Fire Lord raised his eyebrows to emphasize his point.

"Sorry, Zuko." Aang looked hardened, his shiny bald head appearing less childlike now.

"It's okay," Zuko mumbled as he sat down at the head of the table, next to Aang.

"This is just a lot to get used to." Zuko looked around the vast dining room, his eyes brushing over the familiar faces of his newfound friends. He looked back to Aang.

"I know. That's why I'm not upset." Katara had been listening to him and spoke up,

"How aren't you upset after that? General Shang was being such a -" Zuko cut her off with a wave of his hand and a sigh.

"Katara. We cannot discuss confidential matters in a public setting." His words were low and hushed once more, and Zuko was beginning to remember how annoying it is to live without privacy.

"But we're not in public. We're in your dining room," Katara said matter-of-factly. Zuko clenched his jaw and put down his chopsticks, wishing that he could have someone else explain the unspoken rules of Fire Nation government to her. Thankfully, Aang seemed to read his mind and leaned in towards Katara.

"No we're not," Aang said, his next words a whisper, "The servants, Katara." Katara looked to her right, seeming to just now notice the men and women posted at the far side of the room.

"Oh, I didn't know you had to be quiet around them. Why didn't anyone tell me that?" She seemed a bit angry. Zuko noticed that Katara always wanted to know what was going on and why. She avoided being out of the loop like the plague.

"It's okay, Katara." Zuko reached across the table to pick a dragon fruit from one of the platters. There was a moment of silence as everyone ate on their food. Zuko relished in the silence. The only time he seemed to hear it was in his morning meditations.

"So, do you like it, Zuko? Being the Fire Lord?" Katara took a bite from her dumpling, "You sure have to talk a lot." Zuko nodded,

"Mmm, I like it. But it's not like I'm that experienced. Five days doesn't exactly render me an expert. Katara smiled a little at his humility, brushing a piece of her hair back.

"Well, you did really good today, both of you," she said, gesturing to Aang while he excitedly ate his noodles.

"Thanks," Aang mumbled through his noodles. Katara laughed vibrantly,

"I bet he's not in accordance with Fire Nation dining edicate, is he?" Zuko looked at the Avatar for a quick moment, smirking a little. Zuko remembered how tense dinners like this used to be when he was younger. Azula, with her snarky comments, and his father, never even bothering to look his way.

"No, but that doesn't really matter." Katara looked at him, her eyes catching his scar. She had never really thought that much about it. That was how he always was in her mind. For a moment she wondered what he would look like without it. His skin would be pale and perfect, like the right side of his face. His marred golden eye would be cat-like and beautiful like his other. Katara realized that if he didn't have his scar, he would really be very handsome. But, he would look just like his father, so maybe it was for the best.

"It doesn't matter to you, you mean."

"That's definitely not one of my main concerns, no." Zuko dipped a dumpling in hot sauce, silently hoping that they would stop talking to him. When they were traveling together, he usually wasn't the main topic of conversation, Aang was, but after the coronation, people wouldn't stop asking him things. Even his friends. Zuko supposed that he shouldn't let it bother him. It was just that, over the past few years, he had become accustomed to no one caring about him or what he did. He was just a banished prince, and later, a fugitive.

"How can you sit like that all day?" Sokka's voice rang up from Katara's left hand side, "it hurts." Zuko looked at Sokka, having not even noticed that he was sitting there.

"It's Fire Nation tradition to not show pain. I'm used to it." He looked around the table, to Suki and Toph.

"That's stupid," Sokka scoffed. Zuko shot him a disapproving look. Katara nudged him,

"Sokka," she scolded.

"What? Why would you do something like that for so long with plenty of reason not to?"

"Because, Sokka, that's their custom and you shouldn't make fun of it."

"No, no. Sokka makes a good point," Zuko thought for a second about his previous discussions with his Uncle, "Aang, that's just what we needed."

"What?" Aang asked, having been paying attention to his food and not Sokka.

"The statement we were looking for, the one to present to the board when the time came - that's it."

"What's it? I wasn't listening." Zuko almost rolled his eyes. Sokka was four feet from him, and he still didn't hear him.

"Sokka, say that again." He looked towards the young water tribesman, who was taking a large bite from a moon pie.

"Why do something stupid for so long with reason not to?" Sokka said hesitantly, confused as to why it was so important. Aang raised his eyebrows.

"Ohh. That's a good line, Sokka."

"It is. I just need to remember it." Zuko looked behind him for a servant, and beckoned one with a flick of the wrist.

"Bring me a blank scroll and quill." The servant nodded and quickly made his way out the door. Zuko brought his attention back to the table and reached for his glass of rice wine.

"That's so weird," Katara mentioned, "you get to just order people around." Toph laughed loudly. Zuko looked towards the blind earthbender, wondering why she thought it was so funny. Then he remembered the story she told him about her childhood. She was the Beifong's daughter. Zuko knew about her family, his father discussed them several times when he was younger. The richest family in the Earth Kingdom. Her father owned half of the farming land in the world.

"I always forget that you're rich, Toph. You don't act like it." Zuko said, taking a sip of his wine.

"Oh - sometimes she acts like it. You just haven't seen her at her worst," Katara mentioned, an angry undertone to her words.

"Really?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah - one time, your sister and her friends were following us, and-" Zuko cut her off, unsure of what she was talking about.

"Her friends? What are you talking about?" Katara looked at him like he was stupid.

"Your girlfriend, Mai. And Ty Lee." Zuko huffed,

"Oh, okay. Mai was never really her friend, though." Zuko wondered what was taking the servant so long to get a piece of parchment.

"Sure she was. Why else would she work with Azula to capture us?" Zuko looked at Katara, realising that he had never explained this.

"Political gain," Zuko noted, "and boredom." Sokka scoffed, drawing Zuko's attention.

Sokka saw that Zuko was staring at him and spoke,

"It's just funny that we could have died because your girlfriend was bored." Zuko shrugged his shoulders.

"She almost killed me once," Katara added sternly, "She barely missed my throat." Zuko huffed,

"I don't think that's nearly bad as what I've tried to do." Katara furrowed her brows,

"You kidnapped me, Zuko. You never would have killed me, that's different." Zuko shook his head in the negative. Katara gaped at him,

"You would have killed me?" She seemed actually disturbed, but Zuko wasn't going to lie.

"If I thought it would get me home, yes."

"Why do you like it here so much? It's just a bunch of rules and traditions that you're trying to get rid of."

"That's not what I missed," Zuko simplified, not trying to get in deep about his personal thoughts with them in front of the servants. It made him uncomfortable.

"You missed your family? I thought you hated them." Suki chimed in. Zuko raised his gaze to her,

"No, of course I didn't miss them. I missed Mai," Zuko was about to say he missed his mother, but thought against it, "I missed the heat, the food, all the festivals and plays I used to go to. I missed the smells and the colors. I missed the sun. I missed everything." Aang looked at him sympathetically.

"I know exactly what you mean, Zuko. I miss everything about the Air Nation I used to take for granted." Zuko's gaze darkened and he looked down at his plate.

"But you would never kill anyone, Aang. You wouldn't even kill my father." Aang looked at him for a while,

"No." Zuko knew that he and Aang were fundamentally different, mostly because of how they were raised.

"But just because you might have wanted to in the past doesn't make you a murderer. You've never actually killed anyone," Katara said, "Right?" Zuko looked at her, his eyes dark and discontent. Suki scowled.

"I killed Zhao," Zuko said emotionlessly, "and several others during the war." Suddenly no one felt hungry anymore.

"What?" Aang asked. Katara looked taken aback.

"I told you that before, Aang."

"You said that Zhao died at the North Pole, you didn't say that you killed him." Zuko felt extremely uncomfortable now, realising that he was the only one among them who had killed people. The young Fire Lord gulped, the taste of the rice wine stinging in his throat.

"Well, I did. Can we drop it?" He blurted out, sounding more like a teenager than a Fire Lord. Zuko was still picturing the Admiral's face as he burned him. He was scared. He was so scared. And at the time, it made Zuko feel good to have that much power over him. He remembered Zhao's screams as he shriveled up, a ball of blackened, burning flesh, melting in the moonlight. Suki stared at him hard.

"Why would you kill Zhao? Wasn't he on your side at the time?" Sokka asked, eyebrows knit together in confusion. Zuko scowled.

"We were both trying to capture Aang. If he did before me, I never would have been able to come home. I would have banished forever." A long, awkward silence stretched after his words. Zuko missed not being the center of conversation. His life was nothing to be proud of.

"What do you mean 'others during the war'?" Katara asked. Zuko decided that his next meeting wasn't coming soon enough.

"You weren't a soldier," Sokka pointed out. Zuko rubbed his neck and dropped his head.

"When I was trying to capture Aang, people got in my way. I killed some of them in the process." Zuko didn't like to think about it. Sometimes he did when he was meditating. He heard screams. Sometimes they were his victims, and sometimes they were his own.

"Like my people," Suki pointed out, sternly. Zuko didn't have the bravery to face her, so he rubbed his temple instead. Agni how he wished they weren't talking about this. He hoped they knew he was sorry - because he didn't know if he had the humility to apologize for everything again. He didn't know whether to dismiss his past actions entirely or apologize for them. To not pay them any heed would be like his father, in prison for life. But to apologize for them would be like his mother, who was banished for life.

"Yes," he choked out. He took a deep breath and felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Katara's, brown and soft.

"Zuko, we all know you are a different person now, and that you're sorry about what you did." Her blue eyes showed sympathy and Zuko knew her feelings were deep. Since the Comet, she seemed to trust him more than anyone else, even more than Aang.

"You sacrificed your life for mine, Zuko. I trust that you're different now. No one else would have done that for me." Zuko smiled at her and placed his hand over the one on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Katara." His raspy voice stressed her name a bit. Her skin was smooth under his touch.

"I would have," Aang shot out, seeming a bit uncomfortable with their almost intimate closeness. Zuko sat up straight, realising this was inappropriate for the dinner table. Not to mention that he had a meeting to get to.

"Of course you would," Zuko said as he stood up from the low table, "It's Katara. Who wouldn't want to save Katara?" Toph snorted. Katara ignored her, though, and watched Zuko as he started to walk away. Suddenly a memory flashed in her subconscious. Fire. Blue and red. An odd starkness in the air, followed by the crackle of lightning.

"Azula," Katara huffed, remembering her wild eyes as she shot lighting at her, aiming to kill. Zuko looked back at her over his shoulder, a frown adorning his handsome face.

"That was rhetorical."

* * *

A young woman sat in a room filled with older men, all who seemed to have their eyes on her. She ignored them, though, and read through a piece of parchment, her posture straight. She was tall, with a slender frame and dark brown, sleek hair. Her face was outlined by a straight, elegant nose and full lips. She was pretty, but not intensely. Her red clothing showed moderate wealth, but that was normal within the capitol walls. Her skin was pale, but it was her eyes that made her stand out. They were mostly gold, but with flecks of green, and a dark outer ring. Her gaze drew people in instantly, no matter who they were.

"Amara," a man called out clearly, his eyebrows knit together in confusion. Yes, the application said that anyone could apply to be the Fire Lord's advisor, regardless of race or gender. But no ever expected a woman could be qualified for such a position. The woman raised her gaze to meet the man's, her expression serene, but her eyes gleamed brilliantly.

 _Her time had finally come._

* * *

 **Whew - that was the longest chapter I've ever written! About 6,500 words... It was worth it, though. But, did you like it? Please let me know your thoughts and follow because I will be updating both regularly and erratically. Did you like this writing style? Did you think the politics and relationships are realistic? Also, for those who have seen Legend of Korra, how do you think this works with it? Remember, this is not in line with Legend of Korra, but it is inspired by it.**

 **Thank you for reading! And seriously, please leave me a comment. You'll make my day.**


	2. The Beginning of Forever

**Welcome back! I hope you guys are having a good week, and thank you for reading! This chapter goes out to my reviewers from the first chapter: crazyaboutto, HotTieGuy, and Marie F! Thank you so much for reviewing and please tell me what you think of this one! Enjoy!**

* * *

The Beginning of Forever

* * *

 _"Justice is simply the advantage of the stronger." - Phaedrus_

* * *

Water from the fountains in the imperial gardens captured Amara's attention. Several graceful ponds could be found within the palace walls, surrounded by cherry and lychee trees. It was quite a serene location inside a palace of violence. Amara was fascinated by it.

She sat cross legged on the balcony adjoining the throne room's antechamber. She had worn black in order to contrast with the intense red and gold of the palace. It was always better to stand out as opposed to blending in. She would not be seen as a coward - even if her interviewer was former General Iroh.

Amara had seen a wanted picture of him before, in her hometown. But that was several months ago when he was a refugee and a traitor. Wanted posters don't do for flattery.

The balcony door opened as Iroh stepped out and took a seat facing her. A guard reinstated his position in the antechamber, eyes on the former General.

"Hello," Iroh began, a smile resting on his withered face. This woman was by far the strangest applicant he had seen. She seemed young, very young, somewhere around his nephew's age. And she was beautiful. It seemed odd to Iroh that a woman like her would be applying for such a position. Amara bowed her head and held her hands in the traditional Fire Nation welcome. Iroh mimicked in her movements.

"Hello, sir. It is a true honor to meet the Dragon of the West," the woman spoke with a perfect tone and coy smile. Iroh was intrigued.

"Much obliged," Iroh chuckled a bit, "What is your name, dear?" Iroh reached down to pick up the scroll containing her information. Amara kept her face expressionless but inwardly she was confused that the legendary conqueror of the great wall of Ba Sing Se, a war General, and a previous traitor, seemed so harmless. Maybe it was a mask. After all, she was very familiar with masks.

"Amara, sir." Iroh looked back up to her hazel eyes and smiled again. Her document was lengthy, and he hadn't taken the time to read it before. He hoped that she didn't find that insulting.

"Beautiful," he added. Her gaze was soft and delicate as she surveyed him.

"Thank you. It is not my given name, though." Iroh furrowed his brows. The only time name changes were given were after the death of a family member.

"Oh. What is your given name?" He asked, generally interested.

"Xiao. My mother died, so I inherited her name." Her tone remained gentle and even, and Iroh's expression showed his sympathy for her.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Amara nodded her head. Iroh smiled though, which confused her a bit. Why would he smile?

"Wise one. How appropriate." Amara huffed a bit. Appropriate?

"Sir?" She didn't furrow her brows, but her gaze changed a bit.

"Wisdom is just what my nephew needs." The woman smiled at Iroh with sparkling golden eyes as she understood. She had mistaken his previous tone of sentiment for snide. It was quickly becoming clear that Iroh was not one to mock, but to appreciate. Quite a different man than his brother, for sure.

"How old are you Amara?" Iroh asked clearly, his tone showing his interest. She remained neutral, her spine perfectly straight as she sat before him.

"Twenty-two, sir." Iroh raised his eyebrows in suprise. She was even younger than he thought. The average age for an advisor was Iroh's age or older. But then again, it _was_ a time of change. Maybe her new ideas were just what Zuko needed.

"You must know that you are very young to be applying for this position." She nodded respectfully, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, disturbed by the autumn breeze.

"I do. But the application said that anyone could apply, so I did," she remarked calmly, "I made it this far, sir. And you seem much more fond of me than the preliminary interviewers." She needed to prove her worth, but at the same time keep in mind that this was a kind man who would not take well to impudence.

"Perhaps I seem fond of you because you are the first woman I've seen interviewing. The council asked for diversity, but it is not easy to achieve that if all the interviewees are rich, white men," he pointed out. Amara chuckled a bit. The wind whistled through the trees in the garden.

"This is probably the first time that it has been beneficial for me to be a poor, young woman." Iroh mimicked her. Her beauty sure must have helped her to advance through the preliminary interviewers, though. Seeing her sitting so poised, surrounded by mahogany and floating cherry blossoms, it was quite a sight.

"Ah, yes. Everyone has their time to shine, dear." Iroh said wisely, studying her unique eyes. It almost looked as if she had green in her eyes. It must have been the light. To have two different colors would mean that her parents intermarried between nations. Which, of course, was illegal.

"Let's hope that this is my time, then." Her demeanor was so calm and sophisticated, it perplexed Iroh. She certainly was odd. Iroh smiled a bit before he looked down to see if her parents were listed on her briefing. They weren't. But something else caught his eye.

"It says here that you worked as a political correspondent?" Iroh was confused. Woman almost never occupied positions like that in the Fire Nation.

"Yes, sir, I negotiated treaties between the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe a few years back." Iroh was taken aback. She seemed so sure of herself. Was he missing something?

"But - you are a fire nation citizen. Are you not?" Only Fire Nation citizens could apply.

"I am," she said, the words falling of her tongue like a song. What was she talking about?

"How did you achieve such a position? Or, more importantly, why are you not in prison?" To do such a thing would definitely have her incarcerated. She took a breath.

"It was treason at the time, but this seems to be an appropriate time to bring it up. And no, I wasn't arrested. Even the most highly ranked officers can be persuaded." Though her mask was completely the same as before, her words didn't cease to confuse him. She was so calm and confident.

"How do you know that I will not arrest for even speaking such words?" His words weren't angry, but a bit agitated.

"I know you would never arrest me for an previous crime that resulted in the bringing of peace. Since this position will deal mainly with assisting your nephew through the new political landscape that he and the Avatar will pave, securing allegiances that would once have been considered treasonous would be one of my most important tasks. I thought it would be appropriate to bring it up." Iroh was stumped. How could she possibly have known that?

"How did you acquire this information?" His question was blunt.

"I didn't acquire it, sir. I inferred it," she said as she attempted to clear his confusion, "I am not a spy." Iroh raised an eyebrow.

"Inferred?" What in Agni's name was she talking about? Did she think he was an idiot?

"It wasn't that difficult a leap, sir." Though she showed none of it, a bit of worry started to form in her head. It was true, but Iroh was old and knowledgeable. Maybe he wouldn't believe her. Her voice was far from arrogant, but her words were.

"How could a person possibly _infer_ such information?" His tone was agitated now. She sighed a bit.

"Well, it was obvious that the Firelord and the Avatar would make changes to the current government. Drastic changes -" Iroh cut her off,

"This was obvious to you?" The word struck him.

"Of course it was, sir. After Prince Zuko was crowned Firelord, the Avatar and the Firelord spoke about their upcoming ventures, of how they would secure peace. Changing the Fire Nation from a war-focused state to a peaceful one would take many changes." She had to prove that she wasn't a spy, or she was afraid this meeting would end very quickly.

"You attended the crowning ceremony?" He asked, thinking that he might have to tell his nephew that a spy had made their way into the palace.

"No, sir. I read it in the capitol briefings." Iroh let out a breath. Amara nearly smiled. He liked that answer. But he wasn't done with his questioning.

"Why do you refer to me as sir?" he asked. She blinked innocently.

"As opposed to General?" Iroh simply nodded, his eyebrows knit together in confusion. Amara furrowed her brows at his question.

"Because all previous positions are being revoked, are they not?" Her words were gentle but spoken as if everyone knew such confidential information. Iroh actually gaped at her.

"How did you know _that?_ " She definitely was a spy. She had to be.

"Why else would I be applying, sir? The Fire Lord had many advisors. Why would so many be applying for a job that is already filled?" Iroh thought about her logic, or maybe, supposed logic. It seemed sound so far.

"How did you know that many have applied?" She smirked at him coyly.

"You told me, sir." For a moment Iroh felt like a child compared to her, despite being old enough to be her grandfather. Iroh took a moment to process the strange girl.

"Please forgive me if I have come across as arrogant, sir. I mean no disrespect. Would you prefer for me to address you as General?" Iroh shook his head.

"No, that is not the issue," he corrected himself. She tilted her head to the side.

"Then where does my error lie with you, sir?" Amara was very careful not to step over any boundaries with him. He was a very powerful man after all.

"You are a... perplexing young woman, Amara." She smirked at him and chuckled a bit. Her manner was calm and happy, which only served to confuse Iroh even further. He did not trust her. In fact, he doubted her pleasant demeanor was even a genuine one. She knew too much.

"How so?" She asked.

"For one to know so much simply by inferring is almost unbelievable. You must know that it makes me suspicious of your behavior, as well as your allegiances." He spoke with her bluntly, hoping that it would put her off. It didn't. She pursed her lips.

"I promise you sir, I have never spied on his majesty or any members of the royal family." Iroh's eyebrows were knit together in confusion once more.

"Amara, you refer to my nephew are his majesty, but do not grant me a title. Why?" She looked down for a second before returning her hazel gaze to Iroh.

"I have not yet been told his new title, sir." Iroh raised an eyebrow at her. Spy.

"You think that the Firelord will be given a new title?" He made the question sound preposterous, so that if she was a spy after all, she wouldn't have any solid information.

"The Fire Lord is the son of Ozai. He orchestrated the killing of thousands of innocent people, the overthrowing of peaceful nations, and attempting to dictate the entire world. If his son, a said orchestrator of peace, is found to have his father's tenacious qualities, the people would overthrow him. Your nephew must go to considerable lengths to establish trust. Even if that means relinquishing his throne."

A long stretch of silence went on between them. Iroh stared at her with a mix of awe and confusion, while she simply blinked. After several moments Iroh called for a guard,

"Tell Fire Lord that I have found his new advisor."

* * *

Zuko inhaled, flames rose. Zuko exhaled, flames deflated. This pattern continued for much time, but the longer he sat and let his thoughts flow, the more they crowded his mind. Zuko thought of his Uncle, his mother, his father. He thought about his sister, and the war. He thought about his scars. He thought about Katara and Sokka and Toph. He thought about Aang.

As the time passed, he let his mind relax and tried to process everything that had been distracting him. He thought about his father's prison cell, and the ominous looking meeting room, and the great halls of the palace. He heard voices. Katara's words from last night, his sister's taunts and plotting coys. His sister's screams and cries of fury and devastation after her capture. Zuko thought about Uncle's wise, calming tones of grey and white. He thought of his father's tones, red and black and electric blue. His words were menacing and calculated, conniving and sharp. He could still hear the words which he believed would never leave his mind,

" _Rise and fight, Prince Zuko._ "

Zuko heard screams. Blood-curdling, piercing cries that broke his breathing regimen. They were his own, from many years past. He could see a face much like his own, glaring down at him with fury. Golden eyes pinpointed on him, keeping Zuko stuck in his spot. His father's voice was like razors,

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher." He could still feel the sting, the fire scorching him and burning his flesh. The pain was so intense he was frozen in time. The world stopped and all he could hear was the sound of the blood coursing through his head. His own screams were faint and distant, and Zuko, unbeknownst that he was the one screaming, doubled over. He felt heat. So much heat. It contrasted greatly with the coolness of the marble floor underneath his fingertips.

Zuko opened his eyes harshly at the vivid memory. His breathing had become erratic and he hadn't even realized that he was starting to hyperventilate. His eyes were welling up with tears, and he could feel his heart clench because it was beating so fast. He wanted to scream. No, he wanted to cry. He wanted his mother.

His mother. For a moment, Zuko's heart stopped entirely. Out of his mind went his father and in came his mother. His beautiful, loving, doting mother. He remembered the way she smelled of lilacs and honeysuckle, her soft smile, and her gorgeous golden eyes, round and full as the moon. He remembered what her body felt like when she wrapped him in a hug; he remembered the way her breaths felt on his skin. Just as he started to feel tears form in his eyes, a knock disturbed him.

"Fire Lord Zuko?" It was Chang, his servant. Zuko attempted to even out his voice by clearing his throat.

"Yes?" He spoke as clearly as he could.

"The council has requested your presence in their meeting tonight." Zuko looked at the massive golden encrusted door that stood between him and Chang.

"I'll be there." He worked to keep his tone professional. Zuko's eyebrows furrowed when he didn't hear Chang's footsteps as he walked away.

"Would you require my assistance, my lord?" Zuko breathed. He had forgot that servants usually dressed the Fire Lord. Agni, he had been gone for a long time.

"No, you can go." Chang started to walk away, but stopped in his tracks.

"Also, your Uncle wanted to tell you that he found your new advisor." Zuko blinked, looking out the window at the golden sunrise. He would be enjoying it if he wasn't thinking about the day ahead. Long, drawn out meetings and lengthy conversations with people that didn't like him. Agni.

"Wonderful," he tried not to sound sarcastic, but it was inevitable. Meeting another seventy-something ex-admiral, telling him what to do was not something to look foreword to.

"Oh, and your Majesty?" Zuko held his head in his hands and ran his fingers through his dark hair. When would he ever get a moment of peace?

"Yes?" His voice sounded a bit strained now.

"The Lady Mai has asked to dine with you today," he added. Zuko sighed happily. Thank Agni. Mai was quite a silent woman. Lunch would be divine.

"Very well. Set up lunch in my antechamber," Zuko said quickly as he stood up. That was enough meditation for one day.

* * *

After his first meeting, a three-hour long peace summit with various ambassadors and Aang, Zuko was already starting to feel a headache coming on. His scribe was barely able to keep up with all of the things that the Fire Lord needed to speak about, remember and consider. It was a wonder that he hadn't run out of parchment yet. As Zuko walked through the great halls of the palace, his gaze caught the massive portrait of his father. The very first day in the palace, Zuko had asked for it to be taken down, but apparently no one had gotten around to it yet. Agni how he hated seeing that picture every day. It was so demeaning, seeing him painted so tall and proud while in reality, he was hunched over in a jail cell, picking at scraps.

Zuko entered the meeting room, nearly crashing into General Sen Zu in the process. The man immediately shrinked back,

"My apologies, Fire Lord Zuko." Zuko scoffed lightheartedly,

"Don't worry about it." The older, smaller man looked up at him. The meeting wasn't planned to start for another few minutes, and most everyone wasn't there yet. Most of them were caught up in other meetings, probably. The room, while much smaller than the throne room, was still massive and impressive, with gold encrusted ceilings and black marble pillars. The windows on the opposing side of the room showed off the beautiful Fire Nation scenery and the capital city below. When General Sen Zu didn't move Zuko looked back to him.

"Your Majesty, I'm curious," the elderly man began, "why are we taking our meetings here, instead of in the throne room?" Zuko studied the General for a moment. He remembered this man from his youth. He was usually quiet during meetings, but he was smart.

"The throne room is more suited for briefings, and not the planning we are doing," he explained calmly, "And there will no longer be any meetings in the throne room, General, the palace will be refurbished soon and that room will be converted into something else." The older man simply blinked.

"The throne room is not going to be used - ever?" He seemed taken aback, which didn't really surprise Zuko. It was an odd thing to say, for a Fire Lord.

"No. Remember, General, once our new government is in place, there will be no need for thrones because there will be no royalty." Zuko explained this calmly, and the General simply looked at him.

"My Lord, If you would allow me an insight." Zuko pursed his lips. He already had an idea as to what he was going to say. People started to enter and he stepped aside to be out of their way.

"Of course, General."

"This new government you are planning," he started. Zuko quickly corrected him,

"We are planning." General Sen Zu looked up at him,

"Yes, your Majesty. This new government will not get finalized for another year or two, correct?" Zuko considered the man. What was he getting at?

"Our goal is to have a draft we can work with in one hundred days. It would take several more months to finalize that." General Sen Zu nodded his head,

"That's expected. But while you are the Fire Lord, for the next year or so, I believe it would be - wise of you - to secure your place on the throne," he continued, "produce an heir. I believe it would give the people a feeling of stability." Zuko swallowed. An heir? He didn't want to come across as naive, the thought of having a child having intimidated him. So, he gave the General a small smile,

"I'll consider it. Thank you, General," and he brushed swiftly past him. That wasn't what he expected at all. Honestly, Zuko hadn't even thought about having a child. It seemed so far away to him. But General Sen Zu was right. If he died somehow in the next year or so, who would become Fire Lord? There was no one to - Zuko stopped in his tracks on his way to the head of the table. Azula. Even if she was in a mental asylum, she still was next in succession to the throne. Zuko looked around the room for his personal scribe. He needed to take care of this, quickly.

When he found him, writing away at the separate table reserved for the various scribes, he told him to talk to Aang about Azula. He didn't want to give away too much, even to a palace scribe. Soon after, his Uncle entered the room, a merry look in his golden eyes.

"Good morning, my nephew! How are you?" Zuko calmed a bit when he saw him, but he still drew in an uneven breath, the thought of having children still lurking in his mind.

"Well," he lied, "Is my new advisor here today?" Zuko quickly changed the subject and surveyed the room for a new face. Iroh spoke up,

"No, she hasn't been approved for clearance yet." The Fire Lord's expression shifted a bit and he looked back to his Uncle, who was smirking at the thought of her.

"She?" He asked. Zuko had never considered that his advisor would be a woman. Iroh nodded with a coy smile.

"Yes," he explained, "and she's quite a sight to behold. You're in for a treat, my nephew." Iroh looked Zuko over from his heavy robes, to his face, held in contemplation. Zuko wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or serious. His humor was quite dry sometimes.

"Uncle," he started, but realised that this was entirely the wrong place to talk. Zuko looked back to Iroh,

"We'll talk later." Iroh nodded and watched as his nephew made his way to the head of the table. The room started to hush as he was seated and the generals bowed to him traditionally.

"Let us begin," Zuko said calmly, "Chan, would you read the summary of yesterday's meeting?" He looked to the head scribe, the one he remembered from his childhood.

"Yes, your Majesty." The dark haired man unrolled the scroll as spoke with a clear tone,

"In accordance with the wishes of the Earth Kingdom, citizens of the Fire Nation colonies there will return to the Fire Nation. An official proclamation will be-" Zuko's focus faded away, and the General's words came into mind the second he made eye contact with him. _Secure your place on the throne. Produce an heir._

* * *

"Zuko," Mai exclaimed as she looked up from the table adorned with food. The antechamber was filled with light and the tall windows were open, letting in the September breeze. Mai was dressed, surprisingly, in something other than black. She was wearing a dark red tunic, belted to define her small waist. Zuko smiled at the sight of her,

"Mai," he almost purred, "How are you?" A small smile adorned her lips, and Zuko was surprised when she actually got up from the low table and hugged him. He returned the embrace.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in so long." There was a bit of annoyance in her tone. Zuko laughed a bit as she released him and they sat down. Today, the small floor table was covered with bowls of glazed berries and roasted vegetables, and in the center sat a steaming platter of crab legs. There were definitely some perks to being Fire Lord.

"It's only been a few days," Zuko said humorously. Mai sighed,

"I know. But now that I actually can spend time with you, I can't." Zuko made a noncommittal noise. He would much rather spend time with her than argue with grown men all day, but there was a good reason for it. At the end of the day, the state of the country mattered more than his girlfriend. It didn't matter if she was gorgeous and as advanced in combat as a master assassin.

"You know that's how it has to be for me," he simplified it, "You can always come to the palace during the day if you want." Mai looked up from her berries.

"You know my father needs my help with the business," she explained, her low voice taking a strained edge, "I would be here if he didn't." Zuko nodded and started peeling a clementine. Ukano, after returning to the capitol, had returned to his business and with the help of Mai, managed to tread the waters.

"I know," Zuko said, looking back to her. They both started to eat and a few minutes of silence passed. Zuko relished in them.

"Are you in the mood for talking today?" Mai asked, reaching for a glass of wine, "It seems like you're not." Zuko straightened his posture, looking into her almond shaped eyes. He wasn't sure if she was peeved with him or worried about him.

"I don't know," he explained, "It's been a strange day." Mai took a drink from her glass.

"Why is that?" Zuko blinked, wondering if he should share this with her. Guards were posted at the door to the hallway and one stood by the balcony.

"Could we speak in private?" Zuko asked calmly. The guards looked at him for a moment before bowing and walking out of the hallway door.

"What is it? Why can't they hear?" Mai asked, generally interested. Zuko huffed,

"It's private," he mumbled. Mai raised her eyebrows.

"But nothing is private for you now, you're the Fire Lord." Zuko seethed at the reality of her statement. She had a point.

"Look, I-" Zuko started, and then stopped himself. He needed to figure out a good way to word this.

"Let's say, for an example, that an assassin comes in the room right now and kills me," Mai scowled at the concept, "Who would be the next Fire Lord?" Mai thought and then sat back and looked at him, a scrutinizing gaze in her eyes.

"Azula?" She asked. He exhaled sharply through his nose,

"Exactly." Mai shook her head in the negative,

"But - Azula can't be Fire Lord," she insisted, "She's in a mental asylum." Zuko laughed humorlessly.

"That's what Fire Nation law insists. She would be solid from a legal perspective." He looked back to her. Mai held an appalled expression.

"Well," she proposed, "Change the law. You're the Fire Lord." Mai was still scowling.

"I can't. The acting government we have set up right now says that I can't change any laws by myself." Mai scoffed,

"Why?" Zuko had to remind himself that she didn't attend the summits.

"Because," he explained, "Everyone is worried about me. That I'll turn into-" He stopped talking and gulped. Ozai. Mai knew what he was going to say, of course.

"Zuko," she pleaded, "You have to talk them about this. They'll understand." Zuko bit his lip.

"Mai, that's not the only reason." He mumbled, looking down at the table. Mai scowled again and asked him,

"Reason for what?" Zuko suddenly realized he hadn't talked to her about that yet.

"That I... have to produce an heir." Mai gulped at the obviousness of his statement. Her eyes flashed around the room and then their gazes clashed. Several uneasy moments passed as she thought.

"Okay," she breathed unsteadily. Zuko raised his shoulders in unease, realizing that he had just put her in a very uncomfortable position. Agni.

"Mai, I didn't mean that you have to," he paused, "do anything you don't want to. That's not what I'm trying to say." Mai nodded,

"I know," she bit her lower lip, "It's just - we're pretty young to be having kids. Do you even want to?" Zuko didn't even have to think about it,

"No," he didn't look at her, "I don't. But that doesn't really matter right now. The country is so fragile and unstable. It would make the people feel more secure about the future if-" Mai cut him off,

"Wait? Did someone tell you you had to do this?" She sounded a little upset, whether it was that someone was trying to control him or he didn't want to have kids, he wasn't sure.

"General Sen Zu brought it up," he explained, "It's going to take at least a year or two to get the new constitution finalized. You know that the assassination threats to me are real, Mai. What if I die?" Mai sighed. Her eyebrows knit together in concentration.

"We should think this through, Zuko," Mai said, "I'm not making any decisions right now." Zuko nodded.

"Okay." They simply looked at each other for a few moments before someone knocked on the door.

"Yes?" The young Fire Lord asked.

"I have the financials you requested, your Majesty." Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't want to ruin the brief time he had with his girlfriend, but he couldn't just send the guard away either.

"Come in," he said monotonously. The guard quickly entered and made his way to Zuko, handing him a sealed scroll. Zuko took it and set it on the table as the guard left.

"How bad is it?" Mai asked as she dipped a cracker in chocolate sauce, "You only do that when something is seriously wrong." Zuko broke the seal with a knife and opened it. He didn't even have to start reading it to know,

"It's really bad, Mai." He sighed as he looked at the numbers on the page. Mai huffed,

"Well, that's expected, right? There's no way that we wouldn't be in debt," Mai was quite equipped with knowledge of the country's financials. Her father was the owner of the largest steel manufacturing company in the world. But since the war had ended, so had the need for steel.

"If my father had thought that dictating one country was enough, and we didn't have to attack the others, then we wouldn't be in debt at all," Zuko complained.

"Well, he did. We can't do anything about that now." Zuko bit the inside of his cheek and suddenly set the scroll down on the table. He hated having conversations like this.

"Let's talk about something else," he insisted as he looked back to Mai, "please." She gave him a, probably forced, smile.

"Sure," she agreed as she handed him a bowl of spiced chocolate, "Try some of this, it's good." Zuko scoffed and took the bowl,

"I thought you hated chocolate." Mai shook her head in the negative,

"That's Azula," she corrected him, "I love chocolate." She bit her lip as she watched him try some of the desert.

"Mmm," Zuko moaned, "I've had this before. It is good." Mai pursed her lips.

"Have you gone to see her?" Mai asked, "Azula?" Suddenly Zuko's expression changed and he tensed up. Zuko tried not to think about his sister that much. He tried not to imagine her in a straight jacket, rotting away in an asylum.

"I don't want to talk about Azula," he grunted. Mai snorted,

"What do you want to talk about?" She questioned, leaning backwards.

"Something pleasant," he pleaded, "You look nice today." Mai laughed,

"Oh Angi. My mom was right." Zuko scowled in confusion,

"What?" She chuckled,

"She told me you'd like it. She's convinced that if I don't marry you soon, we'll go bankrupt," Mai divulged, "She keeps running around, buying dresses and hairpins." They laughed together for a few moments before she continued,

"Yesterday, she gave me a lesson on how to woo a man. I'm not even kidding," she added. Zuko snorted.

"Wow, that's intense." Mai finally stopped laughing. Zuko got an idea.

"Well, let's see it," he suggested comically, "woo me." Mai made a face,

"Agni no. She told me to do the dumbest things, you don't even know." Zuko raised his eyebrows,

"Like what?" Mai huffed,

"Well she tried taking away all my black clothes, which is all of them, because they're not 'ladylike'. And then she told things to say, like, 'What's your favorite type of tree, Zuko? Mine is cherry'," Mai used a high pitch voice while imitating her mother, which sparked laughter in the Fire Lord.

"She's going crazy, I swear." Zuko licked his lips,

"Your mother's just worried about you," he insisted. Mai made a noncommittal noise. Zuko took a drink, thinking of something to say.

"My uncle found me a new advisor," Zuko revealed, "And it's a woman." Mai looked at Zuko intently.

"A woman? Oh Agni, I won't tell my mother that," Mai mumbled.

"Why not? She'll probably be old." Zuko watched as Mai rolled her pretty eyes.

"Trust me, it'll make her even more frantic," she said, "I think we're going bankrupt from all the shopping she's doing, not because of the business." Zuko thought for a moment.

"Mai, you can just go ahead and tell her I'm going to marry you. I don't want her to be so worried about it." Mai's expression changed.

"You haven't proposed to me yet," she pointed out. Zuko looked down,

"I know. I have too much going on right now," he said, "But I will. Things just need to calm down a bit more." Mai nodded,

"That's fine." She looked back to Zuko and noticed that his crown was askew, probably from laughing so hard. She stood up and walked around the table to him, fixing the golden Fire Nation insignia that permanently rested on his topknot. Zuko smirked.

"My mother will be ecstatic," Mai conceded. Zuko took hold of her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. Their gazes clashed, golden and content. He leaned in to kiss her, but another knock at the door stopped him. He grunted out loud, though not loud enough for whoever was at the door to hear. His nostrils flared and Mai chuckled deeply.

"Yes?" Zuko moved his gaze back to the woman on his lap.

"You asked me to alert you when the financial briefing was beginning, my lord." Zuko sighed. He couldn't avoid that.

"Thank you," he said, forcing the words out. Mai stood up and so did he. Suddenly it hit him that this was how his life was going to be forever. Meetings and interruptions and angst.

* * *

When he stepped through the doors to the east wing meeting room, his gaze clashed with someone's that he didn't recognize. The first thing he noticed about her were her eyes. They were Fire Nation, yes, but also... something else. They almost resembled a wolf's, beautiful and cunning.

"Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you," Amara said smoothly, bowing to the Fire Lord. Zuko's raised his brows. This was not who he was expecting at all. He nodded to the young woman and looked her over. She looked nearly his age, poised, and confident. She wore traditional Fire Nation red and- _Angi her eyes_. Zuko suddenly realised he had been staring.

"Likewise," he said. Amara gave him a small smirk.

"I take it you're my advisor, then." The young woman nodded,

"Yes, my lord. My name is Amara." Zuko actually smiled. He needed to thank his Uncle. He would be spending most of his time with her, and lucky for him, she wasn't that hard to look at.

"My apologies if I was staring, Amara. I must say you aren't what I expected," he revealed. She smiled coyly,

" _Touché_."

* * *

 **Haha! Did you like that little bit? I know it's a bit late to have them meet, but after watching Mad Men's opening, I thought this would be a good way to start. Was it? Please leave me a review and follow, because I will be updating frequently! Thank you so much for reading.**


	3. Smoke and Mirrors

こんにちは! Haha, just kidding... Hello! That was Japanese for those of you who are wondering. I thought it would be funny to start with that because I guess I accidentally wrote a small novel on my thoughts about the similarities between the world of Avatar and Asia. If you don't feel like reading all of that, don't worry. I still wrote a chapter this week. Enjoy!

* * *

 **My thoughts of A:TLA and relation to this book:**

 **Rising Sun, dragons, tyrannical leaders, island nation: Sound familiar?**

 **It's actually kind of funny to think about the similarities between the Fire Nation and Nazi Japan. The screenwriters must have had a blast creating it. The architecture, religion, dictators, written language, appearance of the characters. Look at Zuko: pale skin, shiny black hair, thin as a pencil. Brutal military commanders. It's the whole package.**

 **I think that I will assume throughout this story that because the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom are the most successful nations, and all people (except in the Northern Water Tribe) will speak or understand one of their languages. I might mention the Northern Water Tribe's language as well at some point. As for the southern tribe, I think it's safe to say that they left their old language behind.**

 **One reason for this is because, probably, the only people writing or reading at this time would be the Fire Nation and some people in the Earth Kingdom. Yes, Katara could read in the show, but in my opinion, there wouldn't be any chance for her to be a good reader.  
**

 **So Zuko and pretty much everyone else is fluent in both Chinese and Japanese. Katara and Sokka might know some words in the Southern Water Tribe's native language, but it is mainly extinct at this time. This is where I imagine countries have moved away from traditional, more complicated language, and started to break it down into simpler ones. You can tell by my writing style that Zuko and Amara are right on that verge of speaking more casually, but they still use some, more traditional words and phrases; mainly because that is how I imagine they were taught at the Royal Academies.**

 **While watching the show, I never really thought about it's perspective time period because it took place in an AU. But now that I've seen the comparisons between the countries on the show, and the countries of Asia, I think I can come up with an** **approximate** **time period. My guess is that around 100AG* (where this book takes place) is somewhere similar to the late 1800's in Earth years. Why? The technology, the change of governments, and most importantly, _Legend of Korra_. Since Legend of Korra takes place in what I think seems like the 1920's-1940's in Earth years, it would make sense that the post-war years are somewhere around 1860's-1880's.**

 ***If you don't know what this means, don't worry. Wikipedia can explain it all.**

 **Also, very soon I will be bringing up the subject of religion. Be prepared. That will come in the next chapter, I believe.**

* * *

Smoke and Mirrors

* * *

"Hey girl, open the walls, play with your dolls

We'll be a perfect family.

When you walk away, is when we really play

You don't hear me when I say,

"Mom, please wake up.

Dad's with a slut, and your son is smoking cannabis."

No one ever listens, this wallpaper glistens

Don't let them see what goes down in the kitchen.

Places, places, get in your places.

Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces.

Everyone thinks that we're perfect.

Please don't let them look through the curtains.

Picture, picture, smile for the picture.

Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?

Everyone thinks that we're perfect.

Please don't let them look through the curtains.

D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E

I see things that nobody else sees."

\- Melanie Martinez

The asylum was not a comforting place. Dark walls stood in contempt and help their princess captive, chains and shackles confining her to misery there. Years of abandonment had left their metal to rust. Azula's hands and feet were bound, and a gag was placed in her mouth when the Fire Lord came to see her. Her gaze was was both empty and discomforting, much like the very cell that contained her.

As Zuko walked through the door and surveyed his sister, he couldn't help but feel something in his heart ache for her. As much as he hated her, she was still his family. They had been through much together. They had endured his father's rage together. Although Zuko always thought he got the worst of Ozai's punishments, he knew that Azula had experienced them as well, even if she was the favorite child. He had seen some of her scars. Marred red flesh and bruises were not only found on Zuko. And when he looked at her limped over, held powerless and gagged, it turned his stomach. He could pity seeing her like this, unlike their father. But in the back of his head he knew that really, she _was_ their father.

He sighed, and she looked up at him from under dark eyebrows. It was only then that he could see the dark circles around her eyes, making her seem years older than fifteen. She looked more ghost-like than demonic, which was not what he had expected. He expected fury and outrage. But at the end of the day, Azula was her father's daughter. Manipulative and cunning, empty and cold as the metal floor under her bare feet.

Before he decided to speak to her, he turned around and called for one of the nurses outside the room. Well, it was more of a cell than a room, but that was what they called it. There were no windows in the small chamber she was kept in, the only light streaming in from the hallway. The only furniture inside was a hard, metal chair and a bare table. Even the air seemed odd. It was damp and stale at the same time.

Zuko quietly told the nurse to let her arms down from the chains, and bring in another chair for him. There was something Zuko wanted, and he knew that it might take a long time to get it out of her. A nurse came into the cell and removed the gag from her mouth. Azula licked her dry lips.

"Oh, don't bother making me comfortable. Just tell me what you want," Azula snapped,

"Your Majesty." Her words were dripping with quiet disdain and Zuko turned around to face her, his expression dark. He didn't respond, and let the nurse enter and remove the shackles from her wrists so her arms could drop down to her sides. Zuko entered afterward, his face expressionless as he sat down to face her. He searched the darkened room for a lantern, and with a flick of the wrist he lit one on the far wall of the cell. Azula looked at him from behind stringy dark hair, her head tilted oddly to the side as she flexed her sore wrists.

"Azula," he started calmly, "I want you to tell me something." She stared at him harshly, her head dropped. A heinous smirk arose on her pretty features. Azula was beautiful, much like her mother, but she held it in a very different way. Azula was not gentle and reserved like her mother, was sharp and domanering like her father. But in the dark shadows of the alsum, her beauty was even further perturbed by sleep deprivation and madness. She didn't look like Ursa at all any more.

"You want me to tell you where mother is?" She sure didn't sound like her Ursa, either. She sounded like a venomous snake, her tongue laced with poison. When she saw her brother's amber eyes snap to meet hers, and she knew she was right. This might be a very short conversation.

"Yes," Zuko answered plainly. Azula smirk curled downwards.

"I don't where she is, Zuko. No one does. Besides, she couldn't come back even if she wanted to." Zuko scowled.

"What are you talking about?" Azula laughed coldly and it echoed in the room.

"Oh Zuzu," she purred, "You don't know anything about our dear Mother." Her tone was starting to scare Zuko, but he focused on keeping his face calm.

"What do you mean?" He already had an idea of what she was about to say.

"The pure vision of her you've always fantasized about is a lie. She's not as innocent as you think she is." Zuko glared at her, and for once in his life he felt like he was actually one up on her. He already knew what she was trying to get at.

"That's not what I'm here to discuss, Azula." His delivery was emotionless and he could barely make out a twitch in her expression. He was annoying her.

"You don't even care? You're so blinded your love for her, Zuko. She's a murderer." Her voice had raised in volume and taken a cruel edge. Zuko could see what she was trying to do to him, but he wasn't a child anymore. She wouldn't break him.

"I don't care about that, Azula. I want to know where she went." His words were sharp and to the point. Azula frowned. This wasn't the kind of reaction she had wanted from him. She wanted him to cower. He wasn't budging.

"I don't know," she spat the words out syllable by syllable, "It's not like she payed me a goodbye visit." Zuko exhaled through his nose.

"Did she send letters? Anything that I could use to find her?" Azula looked at her brother, dressed in silk robes and gold and she wanted to kill him. He shouldn't be the Fire Lord. He didn't deserve it. He was pathetically soft and she was better than him at everything. And yet there she was, with nothing. No future. No crown. No hope.

"Why would she send letters? She's a traitor - an enemy of the Fire Nation." Zuko looked over his bare-footed sister, dressed in a hospital gown and a layer of soot. An idea came to him.

"If you help me find her," he proposed, "I can do something for you." Azula sneered at him, her mouth held in an inhuman snarl.

"Like what? Move me to a better cell? Let me take a bath?" She was repulsed by him.

"I don't need anything from you," she spat, "And I'll never help you find mother." With a long look at her, Zuko nodded. The only one who could give him what he wanted was their father. Azula was too far gone.

"Fine," he concluded, standing up and walking to the door. From behind his shoulder he glanced at her, his next words a mockery.

"Have a nice day."

* * *

 _The next day..._

Amara sat perfectly still during the meeting, her posture straight and her eyes carefully fixated on the person on the person speaking. It was a delegate from the city of New Ozai, wanting to immediately return the city to its original state. Zuko agreed with the idea of turning the city back into Omashu, as it was previously named. But for some reason he couldn't help but focus all his attention on Amara. She was jotting things down every now and then, her quill moving impossibly fast down the page, writing characters more perfect and uniformed than the ones he read in official documents.

Something else odd about her that he noticed was the way she wore her hair. She styled it almost identically to the way his sister used to wear hers: two pieces framing her face and the rest neatly pulled back into a high topknot. Azula was the only girl he had seen to wear their hair that way. It was traditionally a boy's style. Now that he thought about it, though, she looked a lot like Azula in a way. Smooth, pale skin, dark hair and a narrow waist. But there was no trace of insanity in Amara's gaze. Amara never blurted out sentences that didn't belong. She was even more perfect than his sister, if that was at all possible.

After a few moments of prolonged staring, Amara turned her head from the man to look at the Fire Lord, who awkwardly averted his gaze from her. She was sitting to his left at the long mahogany table, the delegate at the opposing end of Zuko. It was high noon, so his attention should be at it's strongest, but it wasn't.

"Does this plan please you, your Majesty?" The Fire Lord blinked at him.

"Allow me time to discuss this with my advisor first," Zuko said emotionlessly. Amara snapped her attention to him.

"Of course, my Lord," the man answered. Zuko took an inward breath and stood up.

"We will resume this discussion in one hour." The other delegates and Iroh simply nodded, standing up after Zuko and bowing as a sign of respect. As they started to clear out, Amara stayed behind with Zuko.

"Your Majesty?" Amara asked cooly as Zuko looked her over. She was quite tall for a girl.

"There's no need to call me that when we're alone. Zuko is fine," he said softly. Amara nodded and looked out at the window before returning her gaze back to him.

"Zuko, I think we should clear the air. I know I've just recently been hired, but I promise you, sir, I am not a spy. Please do not hold suspicions against me," she said intently. Zuko scowled at her.

"Why would you think I have suspicions about you?" He questioned. Amara almost made a face at him, but refrained herself.

"I know you were reading my notes, sir, I could see you. If you don't trust me yet, I understand. I can give them to you if you suspect something of me." Zuko failed to repress a chuckle.

"No, you misunderstand," he explained, "I don't think you're a spy. I was just fascinated at how perfect your script is." Amara blinked.

"You were intrigued by my penmanship?" She asked, confused. Zuko pressed his lips together. He needed to stop acting so oddly around her.

"Yes. My apologies for making you feel uncomfortable, Amara," Zuko said. Amara gave him a small smile.

"That's alright," she responded, breaking eye contact with him, only to study the rest of him. For some reason, Amara had not expected him to look the way that he did. He was thinner and taller than she imagined him. His skin was very pale in contrast with his dark hair and vibrant red scar. She had never seen a scar quite like his before. It was so potent and visible, you couldn't help but look at it. It contrasted so intensely with the rest of his handsome face. It was as if his scar was some foreign intruder, like it could be erased and then you would see what he really looked like. Amara wondered how much he thought about it. A person must get used to it at some point, they must expect it when they look at their reflection. She wondered if every time he saw it the thought about his father, looming over him like some evil, omnipresent force, pressing fire into his face.

"Are you hungry?" Zuko asked her casually, "We should probably eat." Amara nodded. She was never hungry in the mornings, but even if she was, she wouldn't eat. Digestion slowed down her thinking and she didn't want to have that. Especially not now.

"In here?" She asked. Zuko shook his head in the negative.

"In my quarters," he explained as he started to walk out. Amara followed, silently at first.

"Your Majesty?" She asked as he looked to her, but kept walking, "Will the Avatar be at the summit this afternoon?" Zuko exhaled as they turned into the east wing hallway. She had yet to meet his little bald monk friend.

"No, that sumit is being delayed until we can find a translator. Several of the Earth Kingdom delegates only speak Cantonese," he explained. Amara looked at the Fire Lord,

"I can speak Cantonese, sir." Zuko snapped his attention to her, slowing down his pace quite a bit.

"Fluently?" He wondered. Amara nodded intently.

"All three dialects, sir." Zuko smirked. That was a rarity for anyone of the Fire Nation.

"Impressive." Amara pursed her full lips.

"Well, I believe that's part of the reason why I was hired, sir." She pointed out.

"You don't have to call me 'sir', Amara. I'm younger than you." He spoke more quietly at the last part. True, he didn't want her to address him so formally, but he also didn't want people they met along their walk to think that he was getting too casual with his advisor. That wouldn't play out well in court. Amara blinked at him.

"You are?" Zuko chuckled a bit at her expression. He guessed it would seem a bit strange that the Fire Lord was only a teenager.

"I just turned seventeen," he explained. She looked him over, raising her eyebrows a bit.

"Oh - I wasn't aware of that. I supposed I never inquired about your age."

"You don't seem that much older than me, though." He mentioned. There was no proper way to ask someone of their age in the Fire Nation, it was considered rude and imposing to ask such questions. But - he was very curious.

"I'm twenty-two." She volunteered. Zuko wondered why Amara had been chosen to be his advisor when she was so young. She couldn't possibly have much experience with politics. But then again, neither did he. Zuko shouldn't be one to judge.

"Beg pardon, but how did you not know that? Many people in the homeland are upset that I've ascended to the throne so young." He mentioned, curious about her cluelessness to the subject. It seemed a bit off in comparison with her. She seemed to know almost everything he asked of her. Even in the few days he had known her, he could tell that she was very intelligent.

"I haven't lived in the homeland for the past few years." Amara said, more carefully than usual. She was having a bit of difficulty getting used to the feel of the palace. Every hall, every room was covered from floor to ceiling in dark granite, golden embellishments and scarlet draperies so thick and luxurious it made a person almost dizzy just looking at them. It almost angered her that Zuko could walk through the palace with his concentration intact, probably not even noticing that every corner was dripping with wealth. _His wealth._

"You've been living in the colonies?" He presumed as they came to the massive gold-encrusted door to his rooms. Dragons were inlaid in its surface, glittering rubies making up their eyes. It was both beautiful and horrifying at the same time. Servants stopped in their tracks to let the Fire Lord walk before them, their heads held down respectfully. Amara wondered briefly if he even noticed them. Probably not. Servants were taught to be invisible. Even their very clothing was the exact same color as the walls, allowing them to blend into the very palace itself.

"No," she continued conscientiously, "in Ba Sing Se." Amara looked to his face to see the predictable, confused expression he held. The guards opened the doors for them to enter through to his room.

"Ba Sing Se?" Zuko was so intrigued by this that he paused on his way into the antechamber. His gaze locked onto Amara's multi-colored eyes, shining with an emotion he did not comprehend. She chuckled a bit and looked downwards as he finally stepped into the room.

"Yes, sir. I was working towards my degree at the University there." Zuko's raised his eyebrows. That was odd. The University of Ba Sing Se was renowned for holding the most exemplary scholars. He had heard people speak about it when he was a refugee in the Earth Kingdom. It was a very selective school, turning down many applicants, even if they were from the upper classes. But that wasn't what was strange. Amara was Fire Nation, how in Agni's name did she get in?

"I've heard that they're very selective with their applicants..." He murmured, "But I've never heard of a _Fire Nation citizen_ being accepted." He spoke with a smirk on his lips as they took a seat at the low table. Zuko didn't notice the food today. He couldn't take his attention off the woman across from him.

"They don't." She acquiesced, her eyes never straying from him. Zuko sat back in his chair, eager for an explanation.

"I came into the country illegally, and changed my name." Amara explained, picking up a goblet of wine. She smirked back at him, a subtle slyness in her gaze.

"But you would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Amara questioned. Zuko's expression shifted. How would she know that? Had she spoken to Iroh? But why would he tell her that?

"I - yes," he fumbled, considering the strange woman, "But I went Ba Sing Se as a refugee, not a student." Amara nodded. Zuko couldn't help his curiosity.

"Why did you leave the Fire Nation?" He asked. Amara took a drink and set her glass down before looking up to her Fire Lord and his enticed gaze.

"I had many reasons," she said before she looked away again, "Curiosity. Anger. Naiveté." Amara picked up a piece of sushi with her chopsticks. Zuko hadn't even touched his food. He wanted to ask her so much more, but at the same time he didn't want to test her boundaries. Something about her told him that she didn't like to be interrogated about her past. He could sympathise with that.

"Was your family upset?" Amara swallowed and her gaze locked onto the elaborate sleeves of his hanfu, where dragons embroidered in gold danced on the silky fabric.

"No," she mumbled as she looked back to him. It was very clear that he wanted much more from her.

"I'll start at the beginning." She said quietly, almost glad when Zuko reached for something and took his attention off her.

"I was born in Kyushima. When I was six my father got a job in the government and family moved to the capitol. I attended the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, same as your sister." He scowled a bit as she continued.

"My father was always insistent that I excel in academics. I took advanced classes, worked with tutors. When I was fifteen, I took the final examination tests and passed, so I went to Capital University when I was sixteen. After a few years there, I only grew more and more upset with their radical teachings, and I left. I took up an alias, and snuck into Ba Sing Se. But by then, " Zuko scowled as he thought on her backstory.

"And why did you return?" He asked, interested.

" _You._ " She stated simply. This struck Zuko greatly by surprise. That was not what he was expecting. "You gave me hope of a brighter future in the Fire Nation." Her gaze was soft and passionate at the same time. Zuko scoffed,

"Me? I don't give people hope, the Avatar does. People hate me." Amara shook her head in the negative. She started directly into his eyes. It was all too obvious that Zuko was both flattered and taken off guard. She supposed he didn't hear that very often.

"I don't hate you. I've never hated you." Zuko scowled, but she went on.

"The banished prince - cursed forever because he cared not only for himself, but for his people. Honor is hard to find within these walls, Zuko. I can only respect your selflessness."

She took a moment, waiting to see if he was going to say something, but he didn't. She wasn't sure whether he was speechless or he was choking on his food.

Zuko's mind was in the past. The past - when a thirteen year old had spoke out foolishly in a room darkened by oppression and blind allegiances. That was him, yes, but he felt like it was in another life. Surely that was centuries ago. Surely he was a different person now. Zuko felt so much older then that version of himself that it scared him that that was only three years ago. So much can change in such a short amount of time.

"I remember the first time I saw you, at the Academy games. I was several years ahead of you, of course, but I'll never forget - you showed mercy. You. The Fire Lord's son." Zuko breathed slowly. No one ever talked about such things with him, not even Mai.

"It was so brave. At eleven you already possessed more honor than I ever would have expected of a prince of the Fire Nation." She paused for a second, looking down at the table, "I'm not usually one for theatrical bravery. But I could tell, that wasn't fake. You actually had empathy for another human being." Zuko blinked and exhaled a breath he didn't know he had been holding in.

"Amara, I don't think you know me as well as you think you do." She actually scowled.

"Why is that?" She asked, knowing very well that he might be right. Except - that wasn't what she was expecting from him. She was expecting humility and gratitude, not blunt denial.

"You're painting me like some kind of hero. I'm not."

"I never said you were a hero."

"My life isn't anything to be proud of, Amara. Don't sugarcoat it." Amara fell silent. Suddenly she felt like she could understand him. A martyr. Dear Agni, it would be so easy to destroy him. Amara knew exactly how to deal with martyrdom. All that Zuko wanted was a sword to fall on. All she would have to do was sharpen the blade, hold it at just the right angle - and she would have him. But Amara was never one to rush to decisions about such things. Patience was a virtue. Besides, she didn't know what her feelings were toward Zuko yet, they were practically strangers.

* * *

After several hours of meetings and planning and smiles he wasn't sure if he meant, Zuko finally returned to his rooms. Of course, it wasn't to sleep, it was to fill out even more paperwork. For some reason, Zuko never remembered his father doing any of what he did. But then again, it wasn't like he had spent that much time with his father when he was Fire Lord. Only Azula knew what he was like when they weren't at dinner or attending a festival. She was became Ozai's shadow when Ursa left, following him everywhere, even to war meetings. Zuko hated it. It always felt to him that Ozai and Azula were there own seperate family, and Ursa and Iroh were his. That separation always tore at him, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.

But that was in the past. Now Zuko sat in his personal study, solving monetary disputes, addressing releases for war generals, and wanting to blow his brains out if he had to sign another request for departure form. Zuko wondered, briefly, just how many government workers could leave without having the entire country collapse in on itself. He really should hire some more people. The government was being held up by a couple of teenagers, a dozen or so minority political heads and Amara. She was probably the saving grace out of all of them.

As if on queue, Chang knocked quietly on his door.

"Yes?" Zuko asked, interested in what was happening so late at night.

"Amara Zeong has requested to speak with you, my Lord." Without thought, Zuko complied,

"Let her in, Chang." Only a moment later did she walk through the door, quill and parchment in hand. She looked up at Zuko through tired eyes, bowing before him gracefully. Zuko simply took her in, not speaking until Chang closed the door behind them.

"Can I help you with something Amara?" He asked gently. She nodded.

"I was wondering if I could speak with you for a while." She proposed.

"Always." Zuko gestured for the chair opposite his desk. She sat quietly, taking out her scroll. Zuko clenched his teeth in displeasure. For some reason unbeknownst to him, he had wished this was a personal conversation instead of a professional one.

"I'm sorry about this being so late at night, but I couldn't seem to find another time in your schedule." Her words were polite, but Zuko was momentarily taken aback by the fact that she had his schedule. He supposed that Chang gave it to her, or maybe one of his assistants. Many things happened in the palace without his knowing.

"If you don't mind, would you bring me up to speed on some of the issues that are being dealt with currently?" Amara asked and Zuko noticed for the first time how beautiful her voice was. It was starkly different than his own - all smooth syllables and clear tones.

"Of course." He agreed, briefly looking out the window of the conference room down at the city. It was probably ten or eleven - he wasn't sure. Zuko always used to love the way the capital looked from the palace at night. It was magnificent and yet omnipresent, closed in by the towering walls of the volcano. The structures were both industrial and beautiful at the same time, illustrated by red-tiled roofs and elegant fountains. Fires illuminated nearly every street and building, creating a soft glow on their sharp edges.

When he was younger, he used to look out the windows of the palace for hours. He enjoyed being so high up, seeing people on the outskirts of the city like ants. Of course, the palace wasn't the only tall building, several other buildings were just as high or higher. But the whole city reeked with an aura of false importance and pretentiousness that Zuko had relished in. It had taken many years for him to see the capitol for what it really was. It was a city of the blind leading the stupid. He wasn't blinded any longer, though. Zuko truly believed he would change the Fire Nation. He just needed time.

"Iroh mentioned that the financial teams have started addressing compensation for damages to the other nations. Where are we on that?" Zuko returned his attention to her.

"Still working out the logistics. You've read the briefing, yes?" She nodded.

"Of course." Zuko stood up from his desk to lean against the window, his elbows resting on the windowsill so he could look at her. She almost seemed amused by this.

"It's kind of hard to be giving money away when you don't have any." His tone was pleasant, but it carried a solemn undertone. Amara licked her lips.

"That's what Iroh and I were discussing last night. We were thinking, if the monetary compensations will have to wait, perhaps there are other ways we can aid them." Zuko scowled.

"Besides returning the colonies to the Earth Kingdom?" Several generals were already upset about the loss of territory there. Zuko didn't really want to give them back, they brought in revenue, but it wasn't an option to keep them. It didn't matter if the colonials hated him for it. He couldn't have another war.

"Yes. Something for the Northern Water Tribe." She stood up from his desk and leaned back against the side facing Zuko.

"Like what? A letter?" He scoffed ironically, "Sorry we ruined your city and killed hundreds of your people. Promise we'll pay you back sometime, Sincerely: The Fire Nation." He had expected her to laugh, but she didn't. Her nostrils flared with an emotion he couldn't identify. Frustration? Disappointment? Either way, she wasn't amused. Amara pursed her lips and looked back to her notes.

"I'll come back to that." She stated simply, her previous agitation wearing off.

"Who's in charge of the prison releases? Is that the board's responsibility as well?" Zuko simply looked at her, thinking.

"Prison releases?" What was she talking about?

"War criminals, I mean." Zuko thought for a moment. The end of the war was one big blur to him. He remembered smiles everywhere - more than he was sure he had ever seen in his life. He remembered the coronation ceremony. He remembered the immediate push back at court, and several of his father's most trusted advisors leaving, giving up their positions. He remembered people's hushed comments when they thought he wasn't listening: what they expected from a seventeen year old coward with anger issues who had betrayed his country multiple times in the past, and how they thought that he would crumble under the stresses of the Fire Lord.

"I believe that the Avatar went to the capitol prison just after the war ended. But to be honest, I'm not even sure who was supposed to be in charge of that. Aang was just letting his friends out." Amara's stare intensified a bit.

"So no one has addressed that yet? Has anyone visited the boiling rock?" Amara broke his concentration and he shook his head.

"No." Amara licked her lips, her gaze calm as ever but Zuko could sense her agitation with him.

"I suggest that we have the head of defense deal with that immediately," she proposed, "Why haven't I met him yet?" Zuko barely remembered the man. The second Zuko took office, he was gone.

"He left." Amara blinked, a slight crease between her brows.

"He's in prison?" Zuko scowled at her.

"I don't believe so. Why would you assume he is in prison?" Amara made a face that he could only describe as patronizing, but it was gone within seconds.

"Well if he left than he is one of Ozai's supporters, yes? Does that not make him a potentially dangerous man to be walking the streets?" Her tone held the same type of wary agitation that it had before.

"Many of the generals left. None of them are in prison." Zuko simplified the situation. She had to understand that calling off the war made for some messy politics.

"With all due respect, sir, someone should be addressing that. It would be much better to crush a resistance before it's ever formed." Zuko sighed. She had a point.

"I agree. We should speak with my Uncle." Amara pursed her lips.

"Of course, but this should really be brought up in the delegations as well." She pointed out. Zuko scowled.

"The international delegations?" He asked.

"No, sir. The national governmental meetings." Zuko could only stare at her.

"What are you talking about?" She seemed put off by his obliviousness.

"Are you saying there are only international summits taking place right now?" Zuko thought about what she meant.

"Financial and Immediate Aid are private-national. We haven't had the time to set up the kind of delegations you're thinking about." Amara raised her eyebrows at him.

"Wouldn't you agree that private governmental meetings need to begin soon?" He sat back in his chair. She was expecting a lot from a eight-day old government.

"Yes, I do. But there is only so much time in a day, Amara. And only one Fire Lord." Amara continued, her expression returning to it's normal, tranquil state.

"Not every delegation would need your presence, your Majesty." Zuko sighed and glared at her. He couldn't stand that.

"Will you not address me that way in private? It's aggravating." Amara lowered her head in a sign of respect.

"Of course. My apologies." Zuko realized that his last words might have been a bit uncalled for, but he continued nonetheless.

"And the delegations would need my presence if the were private-national, Amara. They would need my approval before they could process anything." Now he was the one that sounded patronizing.

"I know. I meant preliminary stages of planning. Not executional." Zuko thought for a moment. She was getting into things very quickly. Both professionally and personally.

"Yes, that's fine." Zuko watched her as she looked back to her notes, and something occurred to him.

"But who would attend? Every Fire Nation head of state left attends the very same meetings I do. Those meetings run from dawn 'til dusk." Amara bit her lip. She thought about it for a second, and then looked back to him.

"I'll figure something out. We can address it later." She wrote something down on her scroll. He simply watched her for a moment.

"What else?" He asked. She stood up.

"This question isn't about the meetings." Zuko smirked.

"Oh, thank Agni. What is it?" An expression crossed over Amara's face that he couldn't identify.

"Obviously these changes we're making are quite drastic and influential." Zuko nodded at the obvious. He wondered where she was going with this.

"Yes." Amara paused for a moment.

"I'm worried about the effect this will have upon the people. This is such a black to white turn of events in the world. Last week in school children were taught that the war is good, Ozai is the best Fire Lord of all time, and the Fire Nation is superior to all other nations. How will the people react to all this change?" Zuko thought for a moment about what she was saying. It was true, this switch was very influential, but that was necessary. The country had to be changed in order for it to heal.

"Are you talking about teachings selectively or how it will affect everyone?" Amara's golden eyes were intense as she locked eyes with him, and for a moment Zuko felt odd staring into them. She almost seemed... familiar. The glow from the fire in the room made her pale skin seem almost luminous and Zuko became lost in her gaze. She looked different somehow. Her dark hair was let down, loosely framing her face, and she was no longer wearing lip rouge. It made her look younger.

"Both. What were implementing - it's a complete reverse of morals." Zuko was still wondering why he suddenly seemed to remember her. How could he? She was years older than him, they didn't go to the same school. But he was sure, he had seen her somewhere.

"Yes, in a way." Amara seemed as if she was about to say something, but Zuko couldn't help but ask,

"I'm sorry, this might seem a bit strange but - have we ever met before? I feel like I remember you from somewhere." Amara straight out smirked at him. She chuckled,

"I thought you might have been a bit young to remember me." Zuko scowled a bit.

"How do I know you?" He leaned forward, towards her. She was still smirking at him.

"Well you don't, really. But you probably remember me from the plays at the amphitheater, or from the graduation ceremonies." Zuko briefly catched hold of a memory, many years past, of going to watch plays with his class in school. He faintly remembered a girl in a red dress, an actress several years above him in school.

"Why would I remember you from the graduation ceremonies?"

"I was valedictorian of my class, and I came back as an alumni and gave speeches," she paused, thinking back, "But I suppose you had already left by that point, so you wouldn't have been there." He noticed how she didn't say the word 'banished'. A few moments passed before Zuko crossed his arms and chuckled.

"You were an actress?" He mused playfully, "I think I remember one of your plays. The Mistress and the Maid?" She leaned her head back, making a comical, strained moan.

"Oh, yes. My first big role." Zuko smiled slightly at the memory.

"That was a tragedy, wasn't it?" He asked. She looked back at him and nodded.

"Do you like tragedies?" She asked. Zuko shrugged.

"I haven't seen enough to know." For a moment, Amara puckered her lips like she was going to say something to him. He furrowed his brow.

"What?" Her expression was somewhere between amused and anxious. Zuko was only growing more interested.

"I don't know if I should tell you this, but..." She licked her lips, "One of my best friends, Nee San, got called this summer to do a play on Ember Island. To play _you_." Zuko rolled his eyes and then he started to chuckle.

"What?" Amara asked, confused by his reaction.

"I saw that play." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose. She scowled.

"You did? How?" Zuko looked back at her.

"What do you mean?"

"It was in the Fire Nation." She said, but Zuko simply looked at her and nodded.

"You went into hiding on Ember Island?" She was staring at him incredulously. Zuko huffed,

"Yes, as well as Aang and the others we were traveling with." Her confused expression faded into amusement.

"That's so ironic. You went to a play about yourself." Zuko made a noncommittal noise. She smiled,

"So - how was it? Did Nee San do a good job portraying you?" Zuko made a face that told otherwise.

"Oh Agni." He sighed. She raised an eyebrow.

"He didn't? I've always thought he was a good actor." She insisted.

"No, that's not it - it's just," Zuko struggled to find the words, "It was the ending that I didn't care for." She was staring at him with genuine interest.

"What happened?" She asked, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

"I died." He said simply, his previous happiness exchanged for sadness. She frowned.

"How did you die?" Zuko exhaled though his nose at the thought.

"Azula killed me." There was a moment where he thought about the end of the war. The memory was so fresh, so vivid it almost stung. Lightning and twitching bodies and letting go of the world. Seconds passed, and the silence grew uncomfortable.

"Wow." She said simply, but solemnly, "That's terrible." Zuko finally looked back at her. Her eyes were conveying what he could only describe as sympathy. At least it wasn't pity. He despised pity.

"And I think that the fights with my sister are intense," she added, huffing to lighten the tension.

"You have a sister?" He asked, desperate to take the attention off of him.

"Half-sister," she commented. Zuko leaned back against the wall.

"Did your father remarry?" She nodded.

"My mother died when I was twelve." Zuko frowned,

"Why?" After asking, he realized that it might have come off as rude.

"She was executed." Amara said blankly. Oddly, her face showed no sign of emotion. That got him curious.

"What happened?" He asked lowly.

"My mother was a spy from the Earth Kingdom. She tricked my father into falling in love with her so that she could sell Fire Nation secrets to the Earth Kingdom guerillas." Zuko's eyes widened at her explanation. For a second he wondered if she was telling the truth.

"She married him?" He asked.

"Yes, and then she had me." Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"You're mixed race," he mumbled, "That explains your eyes." She nodded slightly. Zuko couldn't help but ask,

"How long did it take for your mother to get caught?" She ran a hand through her hair.

"Thirteen years." Zuko huffed,

"Wow. How?" She looked away for a moment.

"My father turned her in." Zuko's eyes went as wide as saucers. There was nothing he could say to that.

"It's alright. She knew what she was getting into." He frowned. An uncomfortable silence passed, and Zuko finally realized that he should be the one to break it.

"One more question," he insisted. She looked up at him, her expression still blank.

"Why didn't you mother's criminal record show up your entry papers?" She had the audacity to smirk.

" _Why didn't yours?_ "

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Please leave a comment to tell me what you like/didn't like, and what you're expecting to happen next!**


	4. Eras of New and Old

A/N: I'm so exited for this chapter. I don't know about you guys, but I really like how this book is going so far! What do you think? Let me know: leave a comment (or two). I'll love you forever! Enjoy...

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Chapter Three

The mutterings and conversations of the press in the courtyard could be easily heard behind the partition, causing Aang's unease to strengthen. This frenzied importance in the air made him feel unsettled. He felt as if he didn't belong amongst this group of politicians and reporters, nor there ever present aura of maturity and significance. Amara surely looked as if she did, though. Aang had noticed. At first, he too was skeptical of her competence with the position of head advisor. But she had proven herself very capable. Only a few days ago, Zuko had promoted Amara to be his Chief Political Correspondent as well, taking on the challenge of both duties at once. Everyone at the capitol expected her to simple switch positions, not take on even more responsibility, but it would not be a decision she would come to regret.

The young woman was standing still behind the swaying curtain, reading documents over again in preparation for the summit. Zuko was standing behind her, an odd expression on his face that Aang couldn't place. Suddenly, the Firelord locked eyes with him and looked as if he was going to say something. But just as soon as he had taken an advancing step towards the young monk, an official stepped out into the preparation room and captured his attention. Amara calmly turned around to whisper something to Zuko, her eyes portraying an odd serenity. Her calamity under pressure was a bit odd. It made her seem older. Nearly a hundred people were waiting beyond the partition, but none of it seemed to phase her.

Suddenly, Aang felt eyes on him and then he saw Amara smiling and inclining her head to him,

"Are you ready to go out, Aang?" He nodded swiftly and then looked to Zuko as he parted the crimson curtains and stepped through them. Amara and Aang followed him out in silence. Zuko stood at the pulpit of the platform, with Amara close behind him on his left. The conference was held outside, as many things were in the Fire Nation. Rows of reporters filled the seats, each armed with writing utensils. Others stood behind or on the sides of the landing.

As soon as the conversations of the crowd ceased and Zuko gazed out over the crowd, the whole of the crowd bowed their head without question or hesitation. Aang looked over to Amara, her head lowered to the Fire Lord in respect, bangs falling over the sides of her face. Suddenly a small wave of panic and discomfort radiated throughout the young mong. This was not his nation. He would never bow to Zuko, even if he did respect him now. All at once he was worried. Would Zuko notice? Was it an abomination to not bow for the Fire Lord? Times had changed, and besides, Zuko wasn't facing him.

But then it was over, and Zuko was addressing the crowd, his low voice thanking the crowd for their patience and then introducing Amara as his political correspondent and head advisor. A harsh whisper erupted in the crowd as they came to grips with the changes that had ensued. A woman had never been selected for a position like political correspondent, and certainly not head advisor. Aang quickly turned his gaze to Amara, as did the entire courtyard, eyes alight and expectant. With an enviable calamity, Amara came up to the pulpit after Zuko had stepped aside.

"Good afternoon." Amara spoke with the grace of a noble, that was for sure. Her demeanor was perfect: dignified and respectable, and yet warm and impassioned.

"The structure of this conference is going to be a bit different than has been done in the past. I will begin with a few announcements, but the majority of the time will be dedicated to answering your questions." A slight murmur resonated in the crowd of journalists.

"Since Firelord Zuko's coronation, many internal changes have been made in the government. Over half of the staff that existed before the Firelord was coronated have left. To fill the positions needed, a board of elders from our nation appointed several cabinet positions. All new cabinet members and officials appointed have been given the same security checks and clearances as before the end of the war. Some of these positions are permanent, some are not. The board asks for your understanding and cooperation as our nation begins to heal. Firelord Zuko and the board of directors have been working around the clock to solve all immediate national disturbances. Financial teams are currently preparing a market report, which they expect to be completed sometime this month." Amara licked her lips and looked over to Zuko, who had been watching her ardently.

"Before I answer your questions, there are a few things to note. For this conference, all questions will be directed to be. The Firelord will not be answering any questions directly. Also, I will not be answering any questions relating to the current financial status of the nation, given that the market report has not yet been released." The reporters began to talk amongst themselves, their excitement seeming to rise by the harshness of their whispers.

"At this time I can answer your questions." As soon as the words left her mouth, a hundred hands raised in the air. There was talking all at once, reporters asking questions over one another so none of their voices could be distinguished from the crowd.

"Yes," Amara acknowledged, pointing to a middle aged woman in the front row.

"Lin-su, Capitol Gazette. There have been a lot of rumors circulating about Firelord Ozai. Is he still alive?" Zuko swallowed thickly and locked his gaze on Amara. Now was the time that her trust would be put to the test. If she made one slip up, if she spoke one piece of confidential knowledge, she would be fired.

"Yes, the former Firelord is still alive. He is currently being detained in the Royal Detention Center." Amara averted her gaze, as if to as another reporter, but the woman persisted.

"Currently? Is he going to be released?" Zuko watched Amara. He could almost see her mind moving. Like clockwork.

"I can not answer that question. All I can tell you is that Ozai Zaodon is currently being detained here in the capital under maximum surveillance."

"People are speculating to the truth of those claims. Why has no one heard from him?" She took a tiny breath. They were testing her.

"Ozai Zaodon does not have any access to the general public or the press. He will not be questioned at this time."

"And what of Princess Azula? Is she being detained as well?" Zuko inhaled deeply. Reporters are like vultures. Zuko could only hope they wouldn't break her.

"Azula Zaodon is also being detained, though she is not at the Royal Detention Center. She is being held at the Zuying Mental Health Facility here in the capital. Again, no one from the general public or press corps has any access to her." A gust of noise erupted from the crowd.

"Why is the princess not in the detention center? Why is Ozai Zaodon being held at the Detention Center while she is not?"

"I cannot speak to that at this time." Suddenly Zuko was glad that Amara was the one leading the conference. She was very good at keeping a level gaze.

"Was it Firelord Zuko's decision to send his sister to the Zuying Center?"

"Again, I cannot speak to that at this time. I have told you everything I can about Ozai and Azula Zaodon's current status."

"Is there going to be a trial?" Zuko inhaled sharply, but silently.

"I cannot speak to that at this time." Her face was void of expression.

"Why not? Is that classified information?" Zuko clenched his jaw but kept his eyes level. He never remembered reporters being this persistent.

"Yes, Nee-san?"

"Same question as Lin-su. Are his detainment documents classified? Was he offered bail? Why are you not allowing him to speak to the press at this time?"

"Due to the fact that Ozai was detained during wartime there are certain factors that I cannot address."

"Could Firelord Zuko?" Amara turned to look at him. He gave a small, solemn nod and walked up to the podium.

"All of the questions regarding Ozai's detainment will be addressed later on. The reason we are sharing only limited information at this time is due to the limited information we have ourselves. As soon as his status becomes more clear, we will inform the general public."

"And what of your sister?" Another reporter asked. Zuko tried not to flinch.

"What of her?"

"Will we be given more information on her detainment as well?" The reporter looked at him with expectant eyes as he gripped his quill tightly in hand.

"Yes, there will be." Zuko backed away from the podium and Amara returned to the limelight.

"Are there any other questions?" Her voice was emotionless and Zuko could only applaud her control over her emotions. These questionings were exhausting.

"Yes?" A new reporter spoke,

"Will those returning from the colonies be reimbursed? And if so, where is that money going to come from?"

Amara answered, and answered, and answered. After about forty minutes of questioning, the conference ended with a short speech of gratitude by Zuko where he encouraged Aang to speak and he did. He gave a few words, speaking about the peace treaty and his gladness to be working with Zuko. And once they were safely behind the curtain, Aang he heard Amara let out a quiet sigh.

Aang looked at them in empathy, but he was surprised when Amara turned her attention to him.

"Thank you so much for doing this. It means a lot to have your support throughout all this." She spoke with a tired smile, but her eyes were glowing with... something. Gratitude? He wasn't sure.

"You're welcome. I'm glad to help." He returned the smile and continued, "That was kind of rough."

"It could have gone a lot worse," Zuko mentioned, his back to them as he stood in front of a large mirror, removing the heavy collar from his neck.

"True." Amara added curtly. Zuko set his collar down on the dressing table and turned around.

"Do you want go sparring Aang? We don't have a meeting until the afternoon." His voice was quiet and expectant. Aang smiled at his friend. He looked so much less threatening without the gold, intricate collar that he was forced to wear for formal events.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Aang bounced a little on his feet, staring upward at Zuko.

"You two are so cute," Amara chuckled, "I'll start prepping for the meeting." Zuko's lips twitched, either in amusement or embarrassment, but his face quickly returned to the typical solemn calmness it usually retained.

"We'll see you in a while Amara." Zuko's gaze was odd when he looked at her, but Aang didn't think much of it.

* * *

The music was unlike anything Aang had ever witnessed before. It was pulsed in his chest like a heartbeat. It flowed through the city, through the crowds, through the buildings, through every person. He could feel the beat of the drums in his chest, in his skull. But there was so much more than that. The sound of the music, of the orchestra, was smooth and fluid while at the same time heavy and dramatic. It vaguely reminded Aang of the Sun Warriors that he had visited with Zuko. But this sound was much more developed. This wasn't just a primal beat. This was strings and trumpets and other instruments, he was sure, although he couldn't see them anywhere. But everyone could hear their song. Pouding, beautiful, enigmatic.

And the colors. There was color in every corner, on every banner. Red and black and orange and deep scarlet. Banners covered the buildings, people covered the streets. Everything was so vibrantly illuminated in the firelight. There was light everywhere. Torches and lanterns were at every turn, flickering and bright. The street was in such stark contrast with the sky, rich and black and covered with stars.

The main road was open only for the parade. There had already been a marching procession, elephants, and fire breathers. But now the street was lined with a color guard; red flags moving in perfect harmony. Not one performer was out of place as they moved with the music, or out of beat. It was such a strange sight for Aang. Everything was so different in the Fire Nation. Everything was taken to such perfection, such flawlessness.

And when paired with the light roar of the crowd and the colors, the music sounded more like an aura, and less like a song. The repetitions of the drumming continued on and on, slowly growing in volume as the parade progressed. The Zhonghe festival itself had already been going on for hours, with shows and speeches. But Zuko had yet to show up. That was to be expected, however. The Fire Lord's appearance was the main attraction. And as the performers got better, and the sky got darker, it was clear that the parade was close to it's end. Finally, the royal procession and Zuko's palanquin appeared.

It took a while for the color guard to finish their performance, but then something changed that Aang didn't expect. As Zuko's palanquin approached the tall rostrum, the music softened, and with it, the roar of the crowd. It was still there, but it had been diminished to a quiet pulse. The palanquin finally came to a stop, the curtain parted and Zuko exited slowly.

There was a rush of excitement and murmuring among the crowd, and then a strong note began the climax of the song. The Firelord's red robes trailed gracefully behind him as he gracefully climbed the steps. The song kept increasing in volume until Zuko reached the top of the dias. He turned around to face the crowd, his expression even and calm. The last phrase swelled until with a final hit of the drums it was over. Almost immediately after the music ended, the crowd quieted.

Aang's attention was on Zuko, along with everyone else. Aang wondered, briefly, if the attention made him uncomfortable. Zuko had always been royalty, so surely he was accustomed to crowds, but this was entirely different. He wasn't just a prince anymore. He was their ruler. He was supreme. Aang tried not to think about it too much, fearful almost that if he took too much notice to Zuko's power it would somehow affect Zuko himself. But really his worries were in vain. If Aang was thinking about the intensity of Zuko's influence, surely Zuko could be as well. As much as Aang, and probably Zuko, wished it not to be, Zuko was Ozai's son. Greed and hatred and manipulation ran in his blood.

Only a few moments later a group of powerful voices rang out in unison,

"All hail Firelord Zuko!" Aang recognized them: the fire sages. They were standing in line at Zuko's sides, two of them on his left and two on his right. Aang had barely noticed them before, primarily due to where he was sitting. Aang, along with the rest of the gaang, were seated in a box overlooking the parade and the dias where Zuko stood.

It was from his position that Aang could see two other sages ring gongs in unison on both sides of the platform. And as if they were one wave, the entire crowd bowed down to Zuko. It took a few moments, but even the fire sages kneeled before him, their palms and heads to the ground beneath them. It was such a strange sight for Aang. He had never seen something quite like it: utter submission.

Katara turned to Aang with eyes of slight shock and disbelief. Aang took some comfort in knowing that he was not the only one to find this mannerism unusual. But then he realized that maybe Katara was wondering if they were supposed to join the masses. Aang only furrowed his brows and stared forward. As bold as Aang was, he still dared not to speak when Zuko himself had quieted an entire crowd. But then the gongs rang out once more and Zuko lifted his hands, the elaborate sleeves of his hanfu on display. Then the masses lifted their heads, standing upright to gaze at their Firelord.

Without a word, the fire sages walked forward to stand on either side of Zuko. He let his arms fall back to his sides, turned, and walked to the awning where his throne sat under a golden. From Aang's position, he couldn't tell who was seated next to Zuko. He had seen two other seats in under the awning when he had come to the festival, but he was too high up to see who was there now. It was an obvious guess, however: Iroh and Amara. Who else would he place by his side? Zuko and Amara seemed mostly inseparable. Aang considered that it was mostly due to the fact that her job required a constant proximity to him, and that by the way that the Fire Nation cabinet was set up, it was normal for him to be reliant on her. Regardless, however, it was an abrupt change to the social circle that Zuko had been apart of before the war.

The fire sages lit the four ceremonial rings simultaneously and then, without warning, a mass of fireworks exploded on either side of the street, lighting up the dark sky. Katara leaned forward and craned her neck to look at the bright sky. Aang watched as a smile broke out across her pretty face and smiled as well. He shouldn't worry about Zuko. Everything was fine, Zuko was nothing like his father. Not anymore.

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A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! I know that this is much shorter than most of my other chapters, but if I post shorter chapters like this than I will be able to post more often. Hopefully you all will enjoy that! Please take the time to leave me a comment, it will fuel my writing flame if you know what I mean... *wink*


	5. Conversations With Ozai

A/N: I'm sorry for taking so long. I got caught up in my other story Roses and Blood... So go check that up if you want! Tell me what you think! It's Ozai/Ursa. BTW, in this book there are hints (or more) of Zutara, Maiko, and Zuko/OC. Zuko gets all the ladies ;) But not yet. Calm down. Just angst for now...

Deliverance Chapter 5

The palace was moving at a fast pace. Zuko went through his duties everyday with the best grace and maturity he could manage, thankful for the almost impossible amount of wisdom that his second in command had, even at her young age. Amara had grown increasingly closer to Aang and the rest of his friends, thinking of them less as children and more like close friends. She had soon learned that despite their usual casual nature and lightheartedness, they were as competent as any adult. She decided that she liked their company.

Toph had decided to leave the palace after a few weeks, wanting to return home to her Earth Kingdom town and teach the metalbending she had come to like so well. Most of the adults and other visitors had gone home as well. The only adult that decided to stay was Hakoda. He was at every meeting, Zuko had noticed, and regularly shared his opinions about world issues. Something about Hakoda put Zuko on edge, though. Not in fear, however. It was something else entirely. Perhaps it was because every time he looked at him, with his broad shoulders and something indescribably burning in his gaze, it made him uncomfortable. It made him uncomfortable to see him when he was looking down at his son, the glow of pride warming his features. It made something burn sour within him. Somehow it seemed like a mockery of his own father. The father that Zuko wished he would always have. But even when Ozai said he was proud of him - in the throne room those many months ago, when the crown sat on his head - there was something dark and sarcastic laced in his words. In his expression Zuko saw not love, nor kind affection, but fire, only fire and this was not the fire of pride for his firstborn.

The longer Zuko sat on the throne, the more he realized that his father still controlled him. If not by his presence, then by the idea of it. If not by his words, than by the whispers in his head he imagined day after day.

" _Silence them_ ," he heard, the words hissed out in his father's low tenor. His generals were beginning to doubt him. And as much as his friends tried to help him, as many times as Amara murmured calming words to him in her infinite wisdom, they could not steady him. His father's voice still burned in his skull. He would never be sure of himself, he thought. No matter what decision it was, Zuko seemed to be torn between the two. Kindness or strength, acceptance or tradition, he was never sure of himself. It seemed that even then - with only the good speaking to him, urging him to do what is right - he still heard his father's voice.

As the days grew colder and summer eventually ran into fall, it was too much. His people were growing angry at him for removing the colonies and not showing resolute strength in every decision he made. The problem was that he couldn't just cancel the restoration movement. To leave them there would almost be considered a declaration of war. He couldn't possibly entertain that. And yet, he didn't want to go through with it either. In the dark of one of those nights, he sat alone in his rooms, stacks of papers laid out in front of him, thinking about what his predecessor would do. Suddenly he got up from his desk and walked to his closet, pulling on a dark, hooded cloak. He didn't need to guess. He could simply ask.

When Zuko pushed open the door to his father's cell, he was surprised to see him awake. He was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, near the bars. He appeared to be meditating.

"Zuko," he breathed, his voice quiet and calm, "How kind of you to visit me." Zuko scowled, wondering why his father was awake. It was nearly an hour past midnight. He took a seat on the ground across from him, peeling his hood back and taking a good look around the room that was his home. It was very dark, the only light coming from a lantern by the door. The room was split in half by the bars, allowing Ozai to only access half of the relatively small room.

On his side of the bars there was a simple cot with a mattress, but nothing else, a writing desk covered in various papers and some sort of urinal connected to a pipeline in the back. Zuko almost scoffed. It brought him a sort of dark pleasure to see his father reduced to this kind of humility. All his life, the picture of his father in his mind was something glorious, condescending and, victorious, all the pleasures of luxury and power surrounding him. Now he was nothing more than a common criminal - a nonbender. It made him almost smile when he thought about his rooms - his father's previous rooms - encased in gold and silken draperies, with it's towering ceilings, and compared it to this dour place.

"You can't sleep," Ozai muttered, opening his eyes slowly. Zuko tried not to look at his eyes. They looked too much like his own.

"Neither could you, apparently," he said in some sort of sarcastic rebuke - but his eyes were on the floor and it didn't seem like that low of a blow, anyway.

"I can. I just didn't want to. I had a feeling you'd be stopping by one of these nights." Ozai's voice seemed so much quieter here in this little cell. Zuko looked up at his father.

"Why would you think that, why now? It's been months since I've been here." Zuko watched as some sort of expression flashed over his father's face, but it was quickly expunged. He wondered if Ozai was fighting back a smirk.

"That's true. But the Harmony Restoration Movement only went public last week," he said with all the grace of a monarch. Zuko scowled quickly.

"How did you know that?" He asked, the anger evident in his voice.

"Friends write to me," he cocked his head to the side, and looked back at his son, "Sometimes they mention you." Zuko huffed, looking at the papers on his desk. He momentarily wondered how Ozai was even allowed to have the simple luxury of a quill and ink. Perhaps the guards had given it to him. It seemed too trivial to dwell on, however, so he didn't question it.

"You don't have friends," Zuko huffed indignantly. Ozai actually smirked then, the curl of his smile lighting up his otherwise stoic face. Zuko didn't like that. He didn't like that he was somehow still his confident, intelligent self despite his situation. Zuko was the one with the crown, but at the moment it felt the other way around.

"Associates, then," he corrected himself. He licked his lips and then his smirk was lessened.

"They tell me that you are planning to remove the colonies. That your citizens are entirely retreating back into the homeland under your command." Ozai looked like he was searching for something in Zuko's gaze. He looked at the ground in preference of his father.

"It's true. The plan's already underway." He didn't want to actually ask for Ozai's opinion, it somehow seemed too desperate, so he waited and hoped his father would give him his opinion voluntarily.

"Do you think it's a good plan?" Ozai asked, eyes boring into his firstborn. Zuko sighed, nodding his head.

"Yes, I do. It'll be good to do it in phases, like we have planned. And it'll be better by helping to fund the colonial's relocation," he paused, thinking, "What do you think of it?" When he looked up, he almost jumped at the intense gaze of his father. He swallowed. He didn't look angry, just... Well, Zuko had no idea what he was thinking.

"I thought it was a plan you would pursue," he commented monotonously.

"That's not an answer." Ozai rolled his eyes at his son.

"You know it's not a plan I would pursue, Zuko," he said, "did you come here just to ask me to pat you on the back and tell you you're doing a great job ruling? You're not." Ozai's voice was edging on venomous.

"By bending at the Avatar's every whim you are saying that you trust his judgement more than yours and you care less for our people than the people of the other nations." Zuko was glaring at him now.

"What else am I supposed to do? I'm fixing the mess that _you_ made." Zuko wasn't as scared of his father as he was before he was Firelord. He was trapped by these metal bars; what could he do?

"I didn't cause this. Sozin started the war, Zuko, not me." Ozai's voice was calm again, almost patronizing in its manner.

"You wanted to take out all of the Earth Kingdom!" Zuko shouted, his eyes lighting up with fire. He still remembered that day when he had heard Ozai's plan. _His plan is just pure evil._

"Yes, idiot child. So was the plans of my predecessors. That wasn't new. Only my execution was different." The venom was there again, only quieter and more subdued.

"What am I supposed to do then, father? Refuse the other nation's peace offerings and declare war on the Earth Kingdom for - what? Wanting their own land back?" Zuko's face was clenched in frustration as he orchestrated all of these thoughts to his father.

"Am I supposed to throw away any progress we've made and isolate our country from the rest of the world? Tell soldiers that just returned from the war that they have to go back?"

Ozai sighed.

"Right now you're telling thousands if not millions of families in the colonies to separate. How is that better than sending them to battle over the lands that they have occupied for over a hundred years?" Ozai looked at this child-king in front of him, expectantly waiting. Zuko leaned back, thinking.

"It's different," Zuko replied.

"How?" Ozai was waiting to hear what he had been thinking for months.

"Those lands aren't ours. To restore balance... it's just something that needs to be done. War - war isn't necessary. That would be a terrible way to solve this problem." Ozai just looked at him for a while.

"Zuko... think about this," he started as his son met his eyeline, "any decision you make will cause pain and anger. This is not some moral stance between good and evil. You have to decide: are you going to ruin the lives of many Fire Nation citizens by separating them from their families, or are you going to chose some other option - one that doesn't anger your citizens and make them question your judgement?" Zuko inhaled deeply. For a second it occurred to him that he really shouldn't be here - that his father was manipulative, and a true genius. He could be playing him so easily. But the thing was - Ozai wasn't lying. Zuko huffed and held his face in his hands. The crown moved forward with his shift in stance.

"Are there any other options? What else can I do?" Zuko waited, not looking up.

"There are several other things you can do, Zuko. Do you remember something I often used to tell you?" Zuko raised his head.

"If you don't like the way the table is arranged, flip it. There are always more options than two." Ozai watched as his son furrowed his brow and bit his lip, thinking.

"What?" He asked.

"An ultimatum. You could tell the Earth King that he either agrees to your terms for relocation, or you withdraw from the international peace agreement." Zuko scowled at that.

"That would be a terrible choice. He would see it as an act of war-" Zuko was raising his voice, but his father cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"You didn't let me finish. There is a third option." Ozai looked at him sincerely.

"What?" Zuko asked petulantly, his patience wearing thin.

"You could create a new city-state," Ozai explained slowly, "An independent entity, controlled by the three nations together." Zuko scowled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked, the new idea seeming preposterous. Ozai glanced at the lantern by the door, seeing that it was almost out.

"It's late Zuko. I'm tired. We can continue this tomorrow," Ozai sighed, standing up as Zuko did so as well.

"What tells you I'll be back?" Zuko asks, hoping to knock him off. It's didn't, of course.

"I know why you can't sleep well, son," Ozai explained, his voice almost eerily quiet. Zuko said nothing.

"People have made plots against you. Not assassination attempts, yet. But they will come... you know it." Zuko lets out a breath and suddenly wishes that they were sitting again. He hated how tall Ozai was. He always looked down at him, Zuko pondered, even in his own cage. Zuko would never be the one on top, never be the one to make him feel insignificant. Something in that made his blood boil. He was the Firelord for Agni's sake - the sun incarnate! How could his father somehow feel higher in his prison scrubs?

"Am I wrong?" Ozai asked, the dangerous sarcasm evident in his voice. Zuko didn't even realize how long he had been silent, fuming. He said nothing.

"Of course not." Zuko turned his back at that and went to leave. Before he opened the door, however, his father continued,

"You'll need this plan, Zuko. You'll be killed without it, you know that. How many people would love to see your head on a stake?" His manipulation was only growing.

"Don't give them an excuse to kill you."

When he was safely outside of his father's cell, he felt confident enough to reply, knowing that Ozai could not hear him.

"I won't."

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A/N: Please review! I live for reviews!


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